[Conference Call] Kia: Strong Growth Through Q2... Tariff Impact in Second Half

Kim Seungjun, Executive Vice President and Head of Finance at Kia, stated during the first quarter earnings conference call on April 25, "We expect our second quarter results to show a higher growth rate than ever compared to the previous year."

He said, "Although there is uncertainty regarding tariffs in the second quarter, it is difficult to say exactly how much of an impact this will have. We believe that, due to a psychological tendency to avoid tariffs in the United States, demand temporarily increased in the first quarter. However, we expect this to lead to a decrease in demand in the second half of the year."

He added, "In the second half of the year, as the EV6 and EV9 are produced locally in the United States and become eligible for electric vehicle subsidies, we will secure momentum to maintain a double-digit operating margin through a diverse range of hybrids and pickup trucks. Regarding incentives, we will not increase or decrease them uniformly, but will instead establish efficient, customized strategies based on the specific situation of each model."