05 April 2013, 20:48 / Auto

GM is considering moving production and evacuating staff from South Korea

General Motors is developing backup plans for its operations in South Korea in case the situation in the region continues to escalate, the automaker's CEO Dan Ackerson said.

"We are developing a plan to keep our employees as safe as possible," Akerson told CNBC. "But what's difficult to do is move production."

Most GM Chevrolet vehicles sold in Europe are manufactured in South Korea. GM has five factories in South Korea, which produce 145,000 vehicles for the domestic market and 1.3 million for export, Automotive News reports . In 2012, the European division of Chevrolet sold 172,077 cars in the region, in the first two months of the year - 18,790 units (data from the industry association ACEA).

According to Akerson, the aggravation of the situation in South Korea could negatively affect the entire global automotive industry. The country is one of the world's largest exporters of both finished cars and spare parts, The Wall Street Journal reports.