Hwang Min-yong, a 37-year-old South Korean businessman, recently received his black Porsche Cayenne coupe with red leather seats after a seven-month wait and took it out for a spin on a scenic road overlooking a river near Seoul.
"Porsche has been my dream car. ... I don't really feel the effects of COVID-19, as my company is less affected," said Hwang, who owns a small tech firm.
South Korea's swift handling of the COVID-19 crisis has provided a backdrop for a sharp increase in demand for premium and luxury cars, dealers and officials said, as wealthy people, insulated from many of the pandemic's worst effects, want to show off on the road.