BMW Korea – The 2nd Most Imported Car Brand in South Korea

BMW has found great success in South Korea. After establishing BMW Korea, they are now the 2nd most imported car brand in South Korea. They sold over 70,000 units in 2022 and that number is expected to grow in 2023. BMW Korea has been able to find great success in Korea because of its premium customer service and its willingness to give back to Korean society. The article will focus on some of the ways BMW Korea is looking to put customers first and how they are looking to build a strong BMW infrastructure in Korea in regard to logistics and developing talent. 

BMW Excellence Club

BMW Korea offers customers a premium membership program called BMW Excellence Club. The club is divided into two membership categories and the customer can choose between the two. 

1. The Lifestyle Program – This program includes a variety of BMW original special services that are more convenient to customers in their daily lives. For example, customers will get the opportunity to drive flagship models at the BMW racing circuit and get gifs after dining at the BMW Driving Center in Incheon.
2. The All-Inclusive Program – This program offers service benefits for maintenance after purchase. The first car service will be free of charge. In addition, customers also receive a free pass for vehicle inspections on a priority basis. If the check-up service period lasts for more than 2 days, the customer will be provided with a BMW luxury-class customer car until the service is completed. Best of all, once the vehicle inspection/repair is completed, a BMW staff member will deliver the car to the customer’s home.

All BMW Excellence Club can park their cars at the BMW Driving Center in Incheon as well as free taxi ride services to Incheon International Airport for 3 years from the date of their purchase. 

BMW Korea to Expand its Logistics Centers

BMW Korea stated that it will invest over $54 million to expand its logistics centers in Korea by 2025. They will start with the BMW Vehicle Distribution Center located in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The BMW Distribution Center runs an integrated system for handling transport, storing, custom inspection, and pre-delivery inspection. The center will be expanded to nearly double its current size by the end of 2023. Therefore, car storage space will go from 11,000 units to 18,000 units. This means that BMW will have the largest storage space for an imported car brand in Korea. In addition, they will expand the whole size of the center and overall facilities. This includes the parking tower and high-voltage charging units. The aim of the expansion of logistics centers is to shorten the delivery time to customers. 

They have already begun construction of a new R&D center in Seoul. This is in addition to an R&D facility in Korea located on the site of its BMW Driving Centre in Incheon. This new R&D center in Seoul is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

BMW Korea to Establish a Strong EV Infrastructure

BMW Korea plans to establish a strong electric vehicle infrastructure in South Korea. This is in response to the rise in demand for EVs in Korea as well as plug-in hybrids. BMW Korea will build charging stations that will serve over 70,000 EVs per year based on the BMW i3 model. They will introduce 10 new cars to Korean customers including EVs and new Mini models. The most interest has been given to a series of new electric vehicles such as the BMW iX and iX3. 

BMW iX

The BMW iX runs solely on electricity. It is their first all-electric compact SUV. Furthermore, it has been implemented with BMW’s newest 5th-generation eDrive technology. In addition, it boasts the power of up to 500 horsepower and a driving range of 600 kilometers. 

BMW iX3

The BMW iX3 is an electric sports activity vehicle based on the BMW X3. The BMW X3 is their biggest-selling car. Therefore, now thanks to the BMW iX3, it can be had as a fully electric vehicle. The BMW iX3 is similar in design to the BMW X3

BMW Korea Looking for Young Talent in Korea

BMW Korea created the Young Talent Dream Project in its effort to foster skilled young workers in Korea. The project aims to educate high school students who want to be automotive engineers or mechanics. Students will learn about the experiences of automotive workers and they will be guided on how to find the right job on their own. The program is run by the non-profit BMW Korea Future Fund. BMW Korea has been sending executives and technicians to schools and Universities in Korea to give speeches on their jobs and the car industry as a whole. To date, over 200 students participated in the program. They got educated in the areas of branding, sales, mechanical work, and the car business. Moreover, BMW Korea has partnered with over 20 Korean universities to date. 

BMW Korea also started an Apprentice Program back in 2004. The program picks students with outstanding performance in automotive subjects and offers them scholarships and job opportunities at BMW’s dealer firms. Therefore, students get a chance to work at BMW Service Centers in Korea and once they graduate from college they will be able to join the BMW Group Academy to get additional training before starting their career with BMW. 

“BMW Korea will not only fulfill its corporate social responsibility in the country, but also continue to share its vision for improving Korean society, and establish itself as a strong partner to seek mutual growth,” said BMW.

We also cover Mercedes Benz in Korea here.