Sales of imported commercial vehicles in South Korea rose 18 percent in March from a year earlier on recovering demand amid the extended coronavirus pandemic, an industry association said Monday.

The number of newly registered imported commercial vehicles climbed to 413 units last month from 349 a year earlier, the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) said in a statement.

Sales of all imported commercial vehicles were up last month on increased sales of MAN, Volvo and Scania trucks, KAIDA said.

Imported commercial vehicles currently account for a large share of the domestic commercial vehicle market.

Five major imported commercial vehicle brands -- MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo Trucks, Scania and Iveco -- sell trucks, buses and vans in South Korea. (Yonhap)