Hyundai, Hyundai recall, Kia recall, Kia South Korea
The logo of Hyundai Motor is seen at its dealership in SeoulReuters/Kim Hong-Ji

The transport ministry of South Korea has ordered a compulsory vehicle recall of 240,000 cars of Hyundai and Kia Motors, following a tip-off from a whistleblower raising concerns over car safety. This is the first time the South Korean government is issuing a compulsory vehicle recall in the country.

The order came after the automakers refused to do a voluntary recall. The affected models include Hyundai's i30 hatchback, Sonata, Elantra, Santa Fe and Genesis, and Kia's Mohave and Carnival. The ministry has also directed the prosecutor to probe if there was any cover-up.

Hyundai and Kia, while accepting the order, have claimed there were no case of injuries or accidents due to the said defects. The affected models are said to have several issues including faulty parts.

"Safety is always Hyundai/Kia's number one priority and we make decisions on recalls or any other customer protection steps in compliance with regulators around the world and stringent internal procedures," Reuters quoted the companies.

The total vehicle recall number of Kia and Hyundai models now stand at 1.5 million in both South Korea and the US combined.

Source: Reuters 

Also Read