Most imported auto brands operating in Korea face a growing dilemma over whether to raise vehicle prices as the U.S. dollar continues to appreciate against the Korean won. Foreign brands such as Cadillac and Jeep, which rely exclusively on imports for local sales, must pay for their vehicles in U.S. dollars through their local subsidiaries. With the dollar still trading at an alarmingly high level of more than 1,470 won — its highest since the 2008 global financial crisis — such brands are being forced to absorb higher costs when importing key models for the Korean market. They must strike a delicate balance between maintaining profitability and sustaining sales growth — a task made especially difficult by intensifying competition from emerging, price-competitive auto brands, industry officials said. “For sustainable growth in Korea, the key task for the U.S. auto brands is to defend the reasonable sales price range despite the strengthening dollar,” an official from a foreign auto brand said. “The pricing strategy has gotten more important than before amid the rapid rise of