Kia has produced small and large trucks for the South Korean market for at least 25 years.

Rear-wheel-drive Bongo trucks have been on the market in Korea since at least the late 1980s, and these were equipped with a four-cylinder diesel engine.

The first generation Bongo was removed from production in December 1994, although the tougher Ceres version continued for another seven years.

It was a one-ton truck that shared a slightly longer front end with the Kia Titan.

Certain export markets with more rugged conditions, such as the Philippines, Latin America, Australia, and Turkey, received the Ceres model rather than the Bongo (in some places, both were available).

In 1995 a reengined and lightly facelifted version called the "Bongo J2" appeared; this reflected the name of the new engine.

The second generation Bongo model for passengers (coach) is named the Kia "Besta" (or "HiBesta"), usually referred to as 'Besta'—which means "beast" in many Romance languages including Portuguese.

The Besta 2.7 did continue in production alongside the Pregio until at least the summer of 1997[5] for markets where this lower priced model retained some popularity.

With stricter emissions controls coming into effect in South Korea in 2006, the 4x4 dump truck model was discontinued at the same time.

The fourth generation, known as the Kia Bongo III, was introduced in 2005, engines were modernized, featuring a common rail option, which is gradually becoming more environmentally friendly.

The coachvan, van and trucks except the 1-ton and 1.3-ton models were ceased in production on December 31, 2007, due to low demand.

The Bongo III went on hiatus between October 2011 and January 2012, due to tighter emissions rules, but reemerged with a Euro V compliant engine.

Kia Bongo was updated in 2014, with new gearbox 6-speed engine and much more efficient Euro IV standards, new body design that includes different front and added grille, and wheels increased in size to 15 inches.