LONDON April 29 (People's Daily Online)—— The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) will lead a delegation of specialist UK automotive companies in a trade visit to Seoul this month, as the industry seeks to strengthen business links and partnerships with Korean companies.

Korea is now the third biggest Asian export hub for the UK automotive industry – and the eighth largest export market. British car exports to Korea have grown by a record 476 percent, with 13,337 vehicles shipped to the country last year compared with 2,315 in 2009.

Asia as a whole is now the UK automotive industry's largest export market after Europe, with 18.5 percent of all cars destined for the region.

With a high level presence at the 28th Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS28) this May in Seoul, SMMT and a selected group of automotive companies will exhibit a diverse range of products, from components to engineering expertise in fields such as power train systems and electrical engineering.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “Economic growth in Korea over the past five years has seen demand for new cars - and vehicle technology - accelerate. A desire for high quality premium vehicles with a strong brand heritage, and for cutting edge components and systems, has placed the UK in a prime position to take advantage of this emerging market. The British automotive industry's success in Korea and wider Asian markets is down to the high quality of our globally competitive products built with our engineering excellence and our highly skilled workforce.”