- Slowdown follows surge in scrap demand in Apr’25
- Estimated scrap recovery in May also down 21% m-o-m
The number of vehicles scrapped in South Korea fell to 64,490 units in May 2025, down about 21% from April’s 81,328 units. This drop is seen as a temporary slowdown, following a surge in scrappage demand in April.
According to the Korea Automobile Recycling Association, “this decline is due to several factors such as seasonal trends, delays in regional scrappage budgets, and a pause in vehicle replacement demand.”
However, y-o-y, figures were nearly the same as in May 2024 (64,870 units).
Regional breakdown
- Gyeonggi-do: led with 29,018 scrapped vehicles
- Gyeongnam: 6,585 units
- Gyeongbuk: 6,182 units
Together, these three regions made up about 65% of the total vehicle scrappage. In contrast, Sejong (614 units), Jeju (710 units), and Daejeon (766 units) had much lower scrappage volumes.
By vehicle type
Passenger cars: 49,176 units (76% of total scrapage)
Trucks: 14,442 units
Buses and special vehicles: Minor share
Given that roughly 1 tonne (t) of scrap iron is recovered per vehicle, the total scrap recovery in May is projected at around 64,000-65,000 t, also down 21% from April’s estimated 80,000 t.
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