Opposition lawmaker criticizes Foreign Ministry overseas missions for buying luxury foreign cars

People Power Party lawmaker Ko Dong-jin, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, criticized the Foreign Ministry on Thursday over its overseas missions' purchases of foreign-made vehicles.

According to data on vehicle manufacturers used at each overseas mission, which Ko obtained from the Foreign Ministry, 19 missions — including the embassy in the United Kingdom — have purchased and operated top-of-the-line foreign luxury vehicles for use by their ambassadors and for protocol purposes.

Ko said the purchases violated the Foreign Ministry's vehicle management regulations for overseas missions, which require that Korean-made vehicles be given priority when procuring official cars.

Ko said the foreign-car purchases amounted to "ignoring the competitiveness of Korean-made vehicles." He added that Korean automakers produce vehicles fully capable of competing on performance and features, and that overseas missions — which should be at the forefront of promoting Korean companies and products abroad — were instead undermining the case for domestic cars.

The data obtained by Ko's office showed that the embassies in the United Kingdom, Thailand and Switzerland, among others, are operating Mercedes-Benz and BMW vehicles.

"It is hard to understand why missions used taxpayer money to buy luxury foreign cars when regulations require the purchase of Korean vehicles and high-performing domestic options are available," Ko said. He called on the Foreign Ministry to strengthen its oversight of vehicle procurement at overseas missions, saying it must determine whether individual ambassadors' personal preferences — rather than any reasonable justification — have been driving purchasing decisions.