KIA SETS NEW EXPORT RECORDS IN OCTOBER

• Record global exports of 72,727 units during October, up 26.8%
• Exports over first 10 months of year rise by 41%
• October exports to Europe leap by 91% compared to 2003

Kia Motors Europe Headquarters, Eschborn, Germany - 1 November 2004

Kia Motors Corporation (KMC) announced today that its exports of completed vehicles during October rose by 26.8% year-on-year to 72,727 units - establishing a new all-time monthly export record. Responding particularly to ever higher customer demand in Europe and North America, global exports for the first 10 months of 2004 climbed 41% to 588,694 units, compared to 417,548 last year.

During October, monthly exports to Western Europe leapt 91%, while exports to Central & South America also experienced impressive growth, up 89% compared to the year-ago month. Ten month exports to Western Europe are up by 71%, with exports to Central & Eastern Europe showing a 55% gain.

Much of Kia Motors strong performance globally can be attributed to increased exports of the Optima (Magentis) D-Segment sedan and the award-winning Sorento SUV, which have recorded grow of 52% and 32% respectively, year-to-date. In Europe the popularity of the Sorento is matched by demand for the all-new Picanto (A-Segment) and new Cerato (C-Segment) models.

"The latest Kia export figures are further evidence that our recent remarkable growth amidst adverse market conditions, is not a passing fancy, but a clear indication of Kia´s rapidly improving brand image in the eyes of customers around the world," commented Mr Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors. "With global sales of the eagerly awaited Sportage compact SUV about to begin, we anticipate our strong growth trend to continue robustly into the future."

Editors Notes

Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe is the European sales, marketing, and service arm of Kia Motors Corporation. With its headquarters in Eschborn, Germany, it covers 20 markets in Europe. The European sales target is 300,000 units per year by 2005, thanks to new European products and new diesel engines.

About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com), which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2004, is among the world´s fastest growing automobile companies. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to be a ´Top 5´ global automaker by 2010. Kia´s 15 manufacturing and assembly operations in 12 countries make more than one million vehicles each year. These vehicles are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 190 countries.

Founded in 1944, Kia Motors Corporation is Korea´s oldest manufacturer of automobiles. Kia today has 30,000 employees and annual revenues of US$ 12 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and the international sponsor of the Davis Cup.

Press Contact:

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Hauptstrasse 185, 65760 Eschborn, Germany.
Tel.: +49 (6196) 509 2132 / Fax.: +49 (6196) 509 2100