South Korea is banning domestic sales of several Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche models, saying they violated strict regulations on auto emissions.
The environment ministry says it will heavily fine all three... and urge prosecutors to open criminal cases against the local units of the German auto giants.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
The Ministry of Environment announced Tuesday that it will ban domestic sales of eight models of Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche diesel cars for violating emissions regulations.
The move comes as a probe by the ministry found that the German automakers manipulated pollution control devices in the vehicles.
Reports indicate 1-thousand-261 cars from the eight models were sold in South Korea from May 2015 to January last year.
The ban comes as tests showed diesel exhaust fluid, which limits emissions, was performing at lower levels than reported in the automakers' certification tests.
The rigging caused the cars to emit ten times more nitrogen oxide gas into the atmosphere compared to normal levels.
"Cutting the capacity of the diesel exhaust fluid tank helps the manufacturer in terms of space utilization and design by reducing the size of the trunk. However, for the consumer, this reduces the amount of diesel exhaust fluid in the vehicles."
The ministry plans to cancel the import certifications of the affected models,... order correction measures and impose heavy penalties.
Audi Volkswagen Korea is set to be fined six-point-five million dollars,... while Porsche Korea faces a fine of three-point-three million dollars.
The ministry adds it will also file complaints with the prosecution to investigate the automakers.
The inquiry was launched in mid-2018,... when Germany detected tampered emissions control systems in cars made by Audi.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.