Seoul Motor Show closes with record visitors

GOYANG, South Korea (Yonhap News) – The annual Seoul Motor Show closed with a record 1.05 million visitors coming to see exhibitions by leading automakers from home and abroad, organizers said Sunday.

More than 1 million visitors came to the 11-day event that showcased 15 futuristic concept cars as well as 36 environmentally friendly cars such as hybrid and electric vehicles, according to the organizers.

A total of 384 companies from 14 countries took part in the event which boasted the largest exhibition space and number of participants since its first show.

Organizers said roughly 2,000 jobs hunters and employees at foreign automakers attended a two-day job exhibition at the sidelines of the annual motor show.

Meanwhile, more than 14,000 overseas buyers from 41 countries flocked to the event where they discussed export deals worth US$1.4 billion, according to the organizers.

"The Seoul Motor Show has become an international event in terms of quality and quantity. We plan to make it one of the world's four major motor shows by 2015," an official said.