Four Locations Caught in Joint Crackdown on Diesel Exhaust Fluid Hoarding... Police Filed Charges

On the 10th, a truck is parked near Peace Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where the shortage of diesel exhaust fluid continues. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The Ministry of Environment announced on the 12th that the joint inspection team from related ministries inspected a total of 360 urea solution-related businesses as of 5 p.m. on the 11th, after cracking down on hoarding of urea solution starting from the 8th of this month, and found violations at 4 of these locations.

Hoarding violations occur when sales exceed 110% of the monthly sales volume. Service company A and bath product company B in Busan, and company C in Seo-gu, Incheon, exceeded their sales volumes by 142%, 280%, and 359%, respectively.

Additionally, gas station D in the metropolitan area was found to have violated the Atmospheric Environment Conservation Act by selling urea solution in subdivided quantities.

The Ministry of Environment has filed complaints against these companies with the police.

Since the operation of the Ministry of Environment’s reporting center on the 4th, a total of 699 reports related to hoarding, price inflation, illegal manufacturing and distribution have been received, and 195 of these cases have been subject to on-site inspections and other measures.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment stated that the "Adjustment Order on the Sale of Urea Solution," which aims to ensure smooth supply of vehicle urea solution to actual users, has been in effect since the 11th, and urged both sellers and buyers to comply with the order.

This order was issued as part of the "Emergency Supply and Demand Adjustment Measures for Urea Solution" and, like the emergency measures, is a temporary adjustment order effective only until the 31st of next month.

Under this order, the sale and purchase of urea solution are limited to gas stations, and sales through e-commerce and marts are prohibited. Resale through third parties in secondhand transactions is also banned.

As a result of this measure, the amount of urea solution that can be purchased at gas stations per vehicle per transaction is limited to a maximum of 10 liters for passenger cars, and up to 30 liters for vans, trucks, construction machinery, and agricultural machinery.

Violations of the adjustment order may result in imprisonment of up to three years or fines of up to 100 million won under the Price Stabilization Act.

Kim Seung-hee, Director of Air Environment Policy at the Ministry of Environment, said, "The purchase quantity limit is the first measure to encourage buyers to purchase only what they need," and added, "If hoarding occurs, we will consider a second measure requiring urea solution in containers to be dispensed within gas stations."

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