April 20, 2024
Automobiles
Hyundai Motor whistleblower may face criminal charges
[THE INVESTOR] A former Hyundai Motor employee who leaked information on the carmaker’s engine defects, leading to a massive recall order by the government, may face criminal charges, according to local reports April 25.
Last year, the former worker surnamed Kim accused the nation’s largest carmaker of covering up engine defects, saying the company was aware of the problem. He sent related documents to transport authorities in the US and South Korea as well as to local newspapers. South Korea’s Transport Ministry later found defects in Hyundai’s theta II engine. Early this month, the carmaker voluntarily recalled a total of 171,348 units with the engine made before August 2013.
Hyundai fired Kim for ignoring the company’s order to return the documents and filed a complaint against him. The police investigating the case are reportedly reviewing forwarding it to the prosecution with a recommendation to charge the whistle blower.
Under the law, a whistle blower who acted for the sake of public good is not subjected to a criminal charge.
But the police believe that Kim violated the law by leaking documents unrelated to his revelation on Hyundai’s engine defects, citing other confidential data found in his personal computer at home. Kim also reportedly admitted that part of the documents he copied from the company had nothing to do with his action of tipping off the public about the engine defects.
Meanwhile, the state-run civil rights commission ruled Hyundai to withdraw its decision to fire Kim. The carmaker has filed a suit against the commission to a local administrative court to nullify the decision.
By Cho Chung-un/The Korea Herald (christory@heraldcorp.com)
Last year, the former worker surnamed Kim accused the nation’s largest carmaker of covering up engine defects, saying the company was aware of the problem. He sent related documents to transport authorities in the US and South Korea as well as to local newspapers. South Korea’s Transport Ministry later found defects in Hyundai’s theta II engine. Early this month, the carmaker voluntarily recalled a total of 171,348 units with the engine made before August 2013.
Hyundai fired Kim for ignoring the company’s order to return the documents and filed a complaint against him. The police investigating the case are reportedly reviewing forwarding it to the prosecution with a recommendation to charge the whistle blower.
Under the law, a whistle blower who acted for the sake of public good is not subjected to a criminal charge.
But the police believe that Kim violated the law by leaking documents unrelated to his revelation on Hyundai’s engine defects, citing other confidential data found in his personal computer at home. Kim also reportedly admitted that part of the documents he copied from the company had nothing to do with his action of tipping off the public about the engine defects.
Meanwhile, the state-run civil rights commission ruled Hyundai to withdraw its decision to fire Kim. The carmaker has filed a suit against the commission to a local administrative court to nullify the decision.
By Cho Chung-un/The Korea Herald (christory@heraldcorp.com)
