Korean Car Destroyed in Battle for Tripoli

War Crime

A Kia Cerato, probably manufactured in Korea, has been destroyed in the battle for Tripoli. Pictures of the white first-generation Cerato sedan, burning out of control, were broadcast around the world Tuesday. Western reporters filming the footage apparently made no attempt to put out the blaze and save the vehicle. It is not known if pro-Gadhafi forces or rebels were responsible for attacking the car, or whether it was hit accidentally. There is no information on who the owner is, but they are bound to be devastated at the loss of this representative example of Korean technology.

Koreans were shocked by the images that were broadcast without warning. "I hadn't thought about it before now, but this really brings home the brutality and horror of the war in Libya" said 26 year-old Kim, who works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul. Others expressed concern that if other Korean cars were destroyed, it might leave the people of Libya without enough reliable Korean cars to travel between battles.

In recent years Korean cars have proven popular in Libya as Korean culture and auto-parts have swept the world as part of the Korean Wave. Earlier this month, cars made by Hyundai and Kia were rated as the best low-cost ownership models in Australia, and record sales have been reported in China, where slightly inferior copies of the Kia Cerato are also made. Sales have also surged in France, where ads for the Kia Sportage recently won the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Silver and Bronze Lion awards. The ads were criticized for using sexual imagery and small children alongside each other, which while likely to raise sales Korea and France, is apparently less of a commercial positive in other countries. Kia have since denied they commissioned the ad campaign.

The Korean government have asked for a ceasefire so that Korean cars can be safely evacuated from conflict zones, but neither pro-Gadhafi or rebel forces have so far responded.

Related Links
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