Sales of imported diesel vehicles in South Korea hit the lowest level in 12 months in October.

The Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association said Friday that around eleven-thousand imported diesel cars were newly registered last month, marking the smallest number since October last year. 

It is 20 percent down from the figure in September.

In particular, the number of newly registered Volkswagen vehicles last month dropped to some 900, a third of September's level.

Industry pundits believe the Volkswagen emissions scandal is mainly to blame for the sharp drop in imported diesel car sales in the domestic market.