BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are Allegedly Violated by the Korean Government

According to a Reuters report, the South Korean environmental protection department said on Thursday that South Korean authorities will impose a total of 70.3 billion won (approximately US$6.31 million) in fines for BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection added that Seoul Custom Customs, a South Korean customs broker, also asked prosecutors to check the vehicles of the three car companies to see whether there were illegal customs laws, such as illegal imports.

Suspected of falsifying emission testing documents and replacing the emission control system parts before the sale of new vehicles, BMW will be fined 60.8 billion won.

Mercedes-Benz and Porsche will also be fined 7.8 billion won and 1.7 billion won respectively for unqualified replacement of emission control system parts before the sale of new cars. In mid-November, the fuel economy of the vehicle will prove to be revoked, and the BMW 28 models will be banned from selling, but this does not affect the cars that have already been sold.

BMW said that it will faithfully cooperate with the government's investigation of tampering documents and will take certain measures. Mercedes-Benz said that between 2012 and 2017, about 200,000 vehicles were imported into the Korean market through customs, and customs declarations had also been made before the replacement of components was approved. Mercedes-Benz will also strengthen internal procedures to prevent such incidents from happening again. A Porsche spokesperson said that the practice of the Ministry of Environmental Protection will not have any impact on its business. Parts targeted for fines are sold between 2010 and 2015. The models currently sold are all in compliance.