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| Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee inspects a BMW vehicle at the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. She visited the institute to monitor its investigation into the cause of a series of engine fires in BMW vehicles. / Courtesy of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport |
By Park Jae-hyuk
The transport ministry is in the hot seat for its "belated and inappropriate" response to a series of cases in which BMW diesel cars have caught fire over the past few months.
Civic groups, lawmakers and even the prime minister have pointed out that countermeasures announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are insufficient to prevent additional incidents amid growing public concerns over the made-in-Germany vehicles.
On Wednesday, Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said the ministry is considering a wider punitive damage system and banning some BMW owners from driving their cars, during her visit to the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.
She monitored the institute's investigation into the cause of a series of engine fires in BMW vehicles.
"The ministry will find out the cause by the end of this year," she said. "We will also push ahead with implementation of a wider punitive damage system, after discussing this matter with other government agencies."
Kim added the ministry is mulling over prohibiting the driving of BMW cars which have yet to undergo emergency safety checks, and those that were found to be dangerous during the checks.
"Unexpected fires at gas stations, parking lots and in tunnels may lead to bigger disasters," she said.
Her remarks are in contrast to the previous stance of the ministry, which said last week it had no plans to ban BMW owners from driving their cars, citing possible infringement of private ownership of property.
Back then, the ministry had just advised owners of the German luxury cars to refrain from driving them.
Critics, however, have regarded the ministry's advice as a lukewarm response to the BMW fires.
"Criticism is rising over the previous countermeasures, such as BMW's voluntary recalls and the ministry's advice," Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon said during a Cabinet meeting, Monday.
Rep. Hong Young-pyo, the floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), also criticized the transport ministry on the same day for its lukewarm response to the fires and belated measures, saying, "The ministry had believed whatever BMW said amid a series of fires."
The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice has demanded the ministry come up with practical measures.
"The government has avoided responsibility for defects in BMW cars, increasing consumer damages," the civic group said. "The government made the first public announcement on this issue, six months after BMW drivers raised questions about engine fires."
DPK Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae, who said the transport ministry is not free from its responsibility for BMW fires, urged the authorities to make a public apology.
She added the National Assembly may hold a hearing on this matter.
According to Rep. Shin Chang-hyun of the DPK, 34 BMW vehicles caught fires this year.
The ministry plans to send experts to the BMW headquarters and factories in Germany, according to Rep. Hong Chul-ho of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.
