XPENG has appointed a local managing director for its planned South Korean business, adding a country-level lead as the Chinese electric-vehicle maker prepares market entry without setting a sales start date.
XPENG named Lee Man-sik managing director of XPENG Motors Korea in an announcement issued Nov. 2. His appointment puts a local executive in place for the company’s planned entry into the market.
The company said Lee’s assignment covers setting up sales and service networks, pursuing strategic partnerships and increasing XPENG’s brand presence in South Korea. These are the stated priorities for establishing the business, but XPENG has not provided details on local investment, vehicle prices or dealer arrangements.
XPENG said Lee has more than three decades of automotive industry experience. He began in engineering and joined Volvo Cars Korea in 2003. The company said his later work spanned customer service and dealer development, along with product strategy, sales, marketing and brand communications.
XPENG said it would emphasize customer trust and experience in South Korea, and cited Lee’s previous work in those areas as a fit for the planned business. The company framed the Korean entry as part of its broader international expansion.
XPENG has not said when sales could begin or identified vehicles for the South Korean market. Electronic Times and STARNEWS reported that sales could start in the first half of 2027, but the company has not confirmed that window.
The appointment comes during wider overseas expansion. XPENG reported 50,237 vehicle deliveries worldwide in October, up 20% from a year earlier and 22% from September. Overseas deliveries reached 13,326, a 166% year-over-year increase; the company said both figures set monthly records. EconoTimes previously covered XPENG’s October delivery results, which did not include a country-by-country breakdown of overseas deliveries.
Lee’s appointment takes effect Dec. 1, XPENG said.
