Geely's Zeekr to Enter South Korean Market in 2026, with Zeekr 001 Expected

TapTechNews July 5th, According to a report by Bloomberg today, Geely Automobile disclosed through e-mail that its high-end brand Zeekr plans to open showrooms in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do in South Korea by the end of next year and commence deliveries in the first quarter of 2026.

It is reported that the first model expected to be launched by Zeekr in South Korea is Zeekr 001. Currently, the EU imposes a provisional tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, leading Chinese automakers to seek growth from other markets. For example, BYD is also preparing to launch passenger cars in South Korea. For details, you can refer to TapTechNews' previous reports. In terms of commercial vehicles, Chinese-made electric buses account for 40% of the total number of electric buses that have started operating in South Korea.

This is not Geely's first entry into the South Korean market. In 2022, Geely acquired a 34% stake in Renault Korea, and the two automakers deepened their cooperation around the development of environmentally friendly models. In addition, the electric SUV Polestar 4 produced by Volvo, which is controlled by Geely, will be produced in Renault Korea's Busan factory in the second half of 2025.

Lee Hang-gu (transliterated), the director of the Jeonbuk Automotive Convergence Technology Research Institute, said that Tesla has achieved success in the South Korean market, and it can be seen that there is a demand for high-end electric vehicles. And Chinese electric vehicles have a lot of digital features, which will be very attractive to South Korean tech-savvy consumers.