The ECCK asked South Korean authorities to elaborate on details related to parts for gas emissions. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) asked the South Korean government on Tuesday to expand the range of qualified test centers for automobile emissions.
The ECCK, in the recently published 2018 ECCK White Paper, asked South Korean authorities to accept European authorization centers as viable test facilities without requiring additional documentation or tests.
“Under current practices, the South Korean government only accepts test facilities from manufacturers that have gone through mandatory check-up procedures or test reports issued by test centers in South Korea,” said the ECCK Automotive Industry.
“Authorization entities in Europe, such as the TUV, VCA and RDW should be accepted as authentic test centers without requiring additional verification procedures.”
The ECCK also asked South Korean authorities to elaborate on details related to parts for gas emissions.
“Article 76 of the Enforcement Rule of the Clean Air Conservation Act mentions the list of parts related to gas emissions, but they fail to provide the specifics, making it difficult for us to make decisions during parts replacement authorization and reporting procedures,” they said.
“Amendments are necessary to include detailed information that pinpoints each emissions-related part.”
European automakers in South Korea are making these requests amid recent controversy surrounding authorization documentation for imported cars.
They are also attempting to exploit South Korea’s recent move to loosen up restrictions to put an end to the problems in the imported car industry.
In 2016, the South Korean Prosecutor’s Office accused Audi Volkswagen Korea, BMW Korea, Porsche Korea and Nissan Korea of forging emissions test reports and other authorization documents, with the companies arguing that they had only committed “administrative errors.”
BMW, Mercedez-Benz, and other European automakers are members of the ECCK.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
