General Motors Korea announced on Tuesday its target to produce 500,000 vehicles this year, aiming to meet rising overseas demand, particularly from the U.S. market.

This ambitious target signifies an 8.5% production increase compared to the 460,826 vehicles manufactured last year, despite previous speculation that the automaker might scale back or exit its Korean operations due to heightened U.S. import tariffs.

The company's vehicle sales plummeted from 409,830 units in 2019 to just 223,623 units in 2021, a decline largely attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales subsequently rebounded to 464,648 units in 2023 and reached 499,000 units in 2024.

The automaker stated it plans to focus on producing the Chevrolet Trax crossover and the Chevrolet Trailblazer compact SUV by fully utilizing the capacity of its plants in Bupyeong and Changwon.

A company spokesperson confirmed, "Our parent company, General Motors, recently requested GM Korea to operate both factories at full capacity to achieve the production target of 500,000 vehicles."