Strict Crackdown on Diesel Exhaust Fluid Hoarding... Penalties for Holding Over 10% Excess

Joint Crackdown Conducted Through Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, National Tax Service, and National Police Agency
A Total of 31 Teams and 108 Personnel Deployed
Police to Immediately Investigate Violations

Crackdown on Over 10,000 Companies
Inspection of Urea Solution Not Meeting Manufacturing Standards Also Conducted

On the 7th, as the nationwide shortage of urea solution continues, a vehicle is being filled with urea solution at the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The government will officially begin cracking down on the illegal distribution of urea solution and urea for diesel vehicles on the 8th. If a company stores more than 10% above the average monthly sales volume of urea or urea solution, or fails to sell it within 10 days from the date of purchase, it will be considered hoarding and subject to penalties such as imprisonment for up to 3 years or fines up to 100 million KRW.

On this day, the government announced that to prevent hoarding and sales avoidance for profit amid the sudden changes in urea supply, the "Notice on Prohibition of Hoarding of Catalysts (Urea Solution) and Their Raw Material Urea" will be enforced from midnight after going through the Ministry of Government Legislation and regulatory review.

Hong Jeong-gi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment, stated, "The government will thoroughly crack down to prevent market disruption such as hoarding caused by China's export restrictions on urea and to block the supply and sale of illegal urea solution products."

The Ministry of Environment will lead crackdowns targeting the manufacturing, import, and sales operations of urea solution for diesel vehicles, while the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will conduct crackdowns on importers of urea, the raw material for urea solution, in cooperation with related ministries.

The joint government inspection team participating in this crackdown includes the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, responsible for checking compliance with urea solution manufacturing standards; the Fair Trade Commission, responsible for investigating price collusion of urea solution; and the National Tax Service, which can verify the status of urea solution stock, purchase, and sales.

A total of 31 teams comprising 108 personnel (53 from the Ministry of Environment, 7 from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, 19 from the National Tax Service, 5 from the Fair Trade Commission, and 24 from the National Police Agency) will be deployed for the crackdown. In particular, officials from the National Police Agency will participate to immediately investigate any violations detected during on-site inspections, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the joint crackdown.

The Ministry of Environment estimates that over 10,000 companies will be subject to this crackdown. To improve the effectiveness of the operation, the government plans to closely monitor the distribution flow of urea and urea solution nationwide and regionally. After identifying the 'intermediate distributors' who purchase from urea solution manufacturers and importers, the government will trace the distribution chain from these intermediaries to final sales points such as gas stations, marts, and online platforms to detect and crack down on suspected hoarding companies.

Additionally, following reports that products not meeting manufacturing standards are circulating due to the shortage of urea solution, the National Institute of Environmental Research will collect samples, conduct tests and analyses, and inspect for illegality.

Vice Minister Hong said, "For the citizens suffering from supply instability of urea solution and urea, the government is doing its best to import urea, the raw material for urea solution," adding, "We will continue to work with related agencies to quickly stabilize the supply situation of urea and resolve public inconvenience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.