BYD, which has emerged as the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, unveiled its compact SUV Atto 3 in Korea for the first time on the 16th. BYD plans to start pre-orders for the Atto 3 and begin full-scale sales in mid-next month.

Following the previous day's announcement by Chinese IT company Xiaomi about its upcoming products for the Korean market, BYD has also officially confirmed its launch in Korea. This shows that leading Chinese automotive and IT companies are making concerted efforts to enter the Korean market. Notably, the general consensus is that these companies are not just relying on price competitiveness, but are also incorporating advanced technologies to enhance product value, which is expected to have a significant impact on the local industry.

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BYD Korea held a press conference at Incheon Sangsang Platform to announce its passenger car brand launch, vehicle lineup, sales plans, and annual targets. The vehicles unveiled were the compact SUV Atto 3, the mid-size sedan Seal, and the mid-size SUV Sealion 7. The pricing is aggressive: the Atto 3 is priced at 31.5 million KRW, and with government subsidies, the actual purchase price drops to the 20 million KRW range. The higher trim Atto 3 Plus is set at 33.3 million KRW.

On the 16th, the BYD Atto3, officially launched in Korea, was unveiled at the BYD Brand Launch Media Showcase held at Incheon Sangsang Platform. Incheon=Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Considering that the Atto 3 starts at 4.5 million yen (about 42 million KRW) in Japan and 37,990 euros (about 57 million KRW) in Germany, BYD's determination to enter the Korean market is clear. The upcoming Seal and Sealion 7 are expected to be priced in the 40 million KRW range. Since the vehicles are equipped with LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, which have a lower recycling rate, the subsidies are expected to be less than those for domestic vehicles.

BYD plans to sequentially open 12 service centers through local dealers and offer various benefits to customers, including a 6-year/150,000 km warranty (8 years/160,000 km for high-voltage batteries), four free inspections, and six years of free towing. Internally, the annual sales target for Korea is reportedly set at around 10,000 units. Among existing imported car brands, only five or six, such as BMW, have exceeded 10,000 units in annual sales.

On the 16th, the interior of the BYD Atto3, officially launched in Korea, was revealed at the 'BYD Brand Launch Media Showcase' of the Chinese electric vehicle brand held at Incheon Sangsang Platform. Incheon=Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Cho Incheol, head of BYD Korea's passenger vehicle division, stated, "BYD is writing a new chapter in mobility with a clear vision and technological innovation DNA," adding, "Since many customers have vague preconceptions and concerns, we will meet them directly and provide accurate information about electric vehicles."

Liu Xueliang, General Manager of BYD Asia-Pacific Automotive Sales Division, said, "Starting today and from now on, we will continue to introduce the best new energy vehicles to Korea with the best technology," and expressed confidence that "we will contribute to all consumers and the development of Korea's green economy."

On the 16th, the BYD Seal was unveiled at the 'BYD Brand Launch Media Showcase' held at Incheon Sangsang Platform, an electric vehicle brand from China. Incheon - Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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BYD's electric vehicle launch, coinciding with Xiaomi's product announcement the previous day, is seen as the beginning of a wave of Chinese products in Korea. Yang Jinsoo, head of the Mobility Industry Research Center at HMG Management Research Institute, commented at a seminar that, "While there is a perception that Korean consumers have a negative view of Chinese brands, this can change significantly depending on how the business is conducted and how relationships with local customers are established."

On the 15th, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, an official introduced Xiaomi's robot vacuum cleaner product 'Xiaomi X20 Max' at the first press conference held after the establishment of Xiaomi Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

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Johnny Wu, President of Xiaomi Korea, said at a press conference on the 15th, "We want to showcase all of Xiaomi's AI-based IoT products to Korean users," adding, "Our products are designed to be organically connected and work together, from smartphones to various smart home devices, to make users' daily lives more convenient."

Xiaomi unveiled products in five categories: smartphones, TVs, wearables such as watches and buds, robot vacuums, and power banks. Sales will begin sequentially from today through the official website, Coupang, Naver, and other channels. Johnny Wu emphasized, "We aim to deeply understand users and provide products and services that truly resonate with their lifestyles," adding, "We will strengthen our service capabilities and build partnerships with Korea's industry leaders in various ways."

On the 15th, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, an official is examining the Xiaomi 14T, the first smartphone introduced in Korea, during Xiaomi Korea's first press conference since its establishment. Photo by Yonhap News

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Xiaomi highlighted 'cost-effectiveness' and 'connectivity' as its main strengths. The first product introduced, the premium smartphone 'Xiaomi 14T,' features a camera co-developed with German luxury camera brand Leica and incorporates Google's AI technology. The triple camera system with Leica optics delivers vivid colors even in low-light environments, and the 'Movie Mode' allows ordinary users to create cinematic videos.

The phone also includes various AI features such as real-time translation, voice-to-text conversion, and automatic editing of recorded videos to help create short-form content. Despite being a high-spec AI phone, the price is reasonable. Kiko Song, Xiaomi's Head of Marketing for East Asia, emphasized, "The Xiaomi T14 is sold for 649 euros (about 970,000 KRW) in Europe, but it is launched in Korea at 599,800 KRW."

TV products including Xiaomi's TV A series and TV A Pro series are displayed at Xiaomi Korea's first press conference since its establishment, held on the 15th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

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Xiaomi also emphasized the security of its proprietary operating system, HyperOS, and the fact that user data does not go to China, apparently in response to concerns about cybersecurity and privacy. If data were to be transmitted to servers in China, there would be concerns about privacy violations, as Chinese law allows government agencies to request such data. A Xiaomi representative at the press conference explained, "We clearly separate domestic and overseas servers," adding, "Data from overseas is processed on servers in Singapore and does not go to China."