Prosecutors have searched the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz Korea. According to legal experts on May 28, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office launched a raid on Mercedes-Benz Korea headquarters in central Seoul over its alleged manipulation of programs to pass emission standards in the past.
The Ministry of Environment said on May 6 that it has found that there was an illegal manipulation of emissions from diesel vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Porsche sold in Korea from 2012 to 2018. This was an arbitrary change of emission measuring devices from a total of 43,381 vehicles.
In the indoor test phase, the component water, which is the core substance of the nitrogen oxide emission reduction device (SCR) installed in the vehicle, was normally sprayed, but was actually less sprayed when the car was driving on the road.
In response, the Ministry of Environment concluded that the illegal manipulation program has been set up and filed criminal charges against them with the largest-ever fine of 77.6 billion won ($63.6 million). This is the first time Mercedes has been disposed of for illegally manipulating emissions.
Related to this, the Citizens' Association for Consumer Sovereignty, a civic group, filed a complaint with the prosecution on May 21 against representatives and corporations of Mercedes-Benz and three other companies on charges of violating the Clean Air Conservation Act.
"The cars that passed the certification test illegally produced up to 13 times the indoor certification standard for emissions, polluting the public's health and natural environment," the group said. "They continued to manipulate and deceive consumers despite the ongoing controversy over the illegal manipulation of emissions by Audi Volkswagen Korea (AVK)."
"They have made public officials of the Ministry of Environment, who are conducting certification tests, suffer from obstruction of justice by illegally installing programs," the group said. "They have illegally passed certification tests, which will lead to obstruction of official duties by hierarchy."
"They have made economic gains by illegally advertising and selling cars that do not damage the natural environment and public health by passing the emission certification process legally," it said. "This constitutes a crime of fraud."
