SOUTH KOREA

Auto Sales Set Monthly Record: South Korean auto makers hit an all-time monthly domestic sales record of 179,121 cars in December, but exports remained sluggish, an industry group said. For all of 1995, sales totaled 1.56 million cars, up 0.3% from 1994, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Assn. said. The December total is 32.8% higher than for December 1994, the association said, largely because of interest-free payment plans and other incentives offered last month. Exports dropped by 2.8% in December compared with the year before to 104,788 vehicles. For 1995, exports reached 1.08 million cars, up 46.5% from 1994. Hyundai Motor Co. was December’s top seller, with 50,877 cars sold abroad and 80,178 at home. Kia Motors Corp. was next, with 25,627 cars exported and 54,702 cars sold domestically.