Foreign goods, which often face tariffs and other barriers, are largely shunned by Korean consumers. They carry only Korean-made cell phones. Few foreign cars are seen on Korean streets. In 1999, Korea exported 1.5 million vehicles, while imports amounted to just 2,400 cars and light trucks. Such actions have prompted U.S. trade officials to put Korea on trade watch for its protectionist practices.
Korean people are tenacious.
A lesser people would have gotten lost after being overrun for hundreds of years by the world's nearby empire builders. We're a tiny peninsula that has been invaded by the Chinese and Japanese before. But Korea's monopolistic auto industry has paid a price for its isolation. Overseas, Korean automakers still suffer from perceptions of inferior quality.