Korea Petroleum Management Service Conducts Special Inspection on Illegal Petroleum Distribution... Preventing Consumer Damage

According to Korea National Oil Corporation, the gasoline retail price at gas stations in the second week of this month was 1,691.8 KRW per liter, an increase of 24.2 KRW from the previous week. On the 13th, a gas station in Seoul was selling gasoline at 1,769 KRW per liter. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The Korea Petroleum Management Service announced that starting from the 15th, it will conduct special inspections targeting gas stations and other petroleum sales outlets to proactively block illegal petroleum distribution caused by recent sharp increases in oil prices and instability in petroleum product prices. These special inspections will continue until oil prices stabilize.

Fake petroleum is manufactured by mixing kerosene and petrochemical products with normal petroleum products for use or intended use as fuel for vehicles or machinery. Using fake petroleum can damage key parts of a vehicle's engine or exhaust system, causing not only economic losses but also threatening the safety of drivers. It also causes air pollution such as harmful emissions and fine dust.

During the special inspection period, the Petroleum Management Service plans to strengthen selective inspections of abnormal trading outlets through monitoring of petroleum product distribution status and on-site inspections of mobile sales at construction sites, as well as expand inspections during vulnerable times such as nighttime and holidays.

Cha Dong-hyung, Director of the Korea Petroleum Management Service, said, "With the rise in international oil prices, it is expected that offenders involved in illegal distribution of fake petroleum will become more active," adding, "Through this special inspection, we will prevent consumer damage that may occur due to fake petroleum in advance and strengthen on-site inspections to create an environment where all citizens can use petroleum products with confidence."

Meanwhile, the Korea Petroleum Management Service operates a consumer reporting center and a reward system for reports to eradicate illegal petroleum distribution such as manufacturing and selling fake petroleum products.

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