Volkswagen won't withdraw from Korean market

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Volkswagen Korea, the German automaker’s unit here, said it will never withdraw from the Korean market despite the government’s sales ban on most of the cars in its lineup.

According to a Volkswagen Korea official, Wednesday, the automaker is determined to turn the crisis into an opportunity for the future.

“Our customers have trusted Volkswagen for the last 10 years,” she said. “We won’t disappoint them anymore.

“Unfortunately, sales of most of our vehicles are currently banned. In the long term, though, we believe this is the best time to invest in restructuring for our future competitiveness. As part of our efforts, Volkswagen Korea is strengthening its service network in Korea to satisfy the demands of our existing customers.”

While Audi Volkswagen Korea regains sales approval for those 80 models, it plans to enhance service quality and capacity at its customer centers.

Volkswagen Korea introduced the so-called “Direct Express Service Center” in September last year, where owners can get basic maintenance services, including oil changes and tire maintenance, without having to make reservations.

Volkswagen Korea’s monthly capacity in maintenance has increased to 23,000 cars this year, up by about 20 percent from the January-July period last year.

Volkswagen owners are also offered the original Volkswagen engine oil, with a longer life, at the Direct Express Service Centers.

In a bid to provide more professional and efficient services at its centers, the German automaker’s local unit in Korea also built the Volkswagen Technical Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, in August last year. It is the lead service center for Volkswagen’s service centers across the country

Master auto technicians at the Yongin center provide advice and technical assistance to mechanics at Volkswagen service centers throughout the nation through real-time phone cameras.

The center also offers educational workshops for local mechanics with the latest technical information and tips in maintenance through online.

It also has introduced several new vehicle models at the Volkswagen Technical Center, which media and prospective Volkswagen owners can drive under ideal test conditions.