[THE INVESTOR] Volkswagen Korea said it does not intend to abandon the Korean market amid growing speculation that the automaker could be forced out over the emission scandal.

“I apologize for causing trouble for our partner dealers and customers,” Tomas Kuel, CEO of VW Korea said in a letter sent out to the dealers on July 14. “Although we are in a difficult situation, we will keep a strong foothold in the Korean market and pursue future plans.”

He stressed that the Korean market is very important for Germany’s VW, and the headquarters promised to give full support to solve the situation. 

The letter arrived in the wake of the Ministry of Environment’s order to ban sales and cancel registration of Audi and VW models that cheated on emission tests. Of the 34 vehicles subject to penalty, 27 models are currently on sale, including its top-selling models such as the VW Golf and the Audi A8.

The ministry will hold a hearing on its final decision on the punitive measure on July 25.

Kuel tried to emphasize that the existing customers will not be hit hard by the penalty, as the sales ban will only be applied to new cars.

However, VW owners are concerned about the lower resale value and the lack of accessibility for the warranty and repair services in the future.

“We will continuously provide services to the existing owners so they should not worry about the car operation, repair and warranty service and the used-car transaction,” VW Korea said in a notification posted on its website on July 15.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)