Prosecutors Raid Nissan Korea Over Alleged Illegal Emission Manipulation

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The prosecution conducted a search and seizure at the office of Nissan, a Japanese imported car company suspected of illegal manipulation of exhaust emissions.

On the 28th, the Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Dong-eon) reportedly sent investigators to the Nissan Korea office located in Gangnam, Seoul, to secure electronic data and other materials.

Earlier, in May, the Ministry of Environment filed a complaint with the prosecution, alleging illegal manipulation of exhaust emissions in 40,381 diesel vehicles of 14 models sold domestically between 2012 and 2018 by Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Porsche.

The civic group Consumer Sovereignty Citizens' Association also filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in May, requesting an investigation into Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche corporations, and 12 representatives on charges of violating the Air Quality Preservation Act, fraud, and obstruction of official duties by deception.

According to the investigation, the imported car companies used illegal programs to manipulate emissions by reducing the amount of urea solution used in the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system or by disabling the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system in diesel models. When the amount of SCR urea solution is reduced or the EGR system is disabled, nitrogen oxides, which are the main cause of fine dust, are excessively emitted.

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