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Former chief of Volkswagen Korea summoned again over emissions scandal

July 8, 2016

SEOUL, July 8 (Yonhap) — A former managing director of the local branch of Volkswagen was summoned by prosecutors for a second time Friday over the German carmaker’s alleged irregularities that came to light following last year’s emissions scandal.

Park Dong-hoon appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning over his alleged involvement in the company’s cheating on emissions tests by using so-called defeat device software.

He declined to comment on any of the questions asked by reporters before entering the prosecutors’ office.

The 63-year-old was first summoned Tuesday as a material witness, but his status changed to that of a suspect following the questioning.

Park headed Volkswagen Korea as the managing director from 2005, when it was first established here, to 2013, before moving to Renault Samsung Motors Co., the local unit of Renault S.A. He has been heading the local branch of the French automaker as the first South Korean CEO since April.

Prosecutors said they will soon summon Johannes Thammer, the current chief of the automaker’s South Korean unit.

Park Dong-hoon, a former managing director of the local branch of Volkswagen, enters the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on July 8, 2016, to face questioning over his alleged involvement in the German carmaker's cheating on emissions tests by using so-called defeat device software. (Yonhap)

Park Dong-hoon, a former managing director of the local branch of Volkswagen, enters the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on July 8, 2016, to face questioning over his alleged involvement in the German carmaker’s cheating on emissions tests by using so-called defeat device software. (Yonhap)