Concerns about a recurrence of the urea water scandal are growing in South Korea, but the South Korean government dismisses them.

Concerns are growing in South Korea after reports that China has asked some of its domestic fertilizer producers to stop exporting urea. Did China temporarily suspend urea exports in 2021?
At the time, urea was in short supply in South Korea, causing confusion and disrupting the operation of diesel-powered passenger cars, buses, and cargo trucks. Korean media said, ``The ``urea water nightmare'' from two years ago is being repeated.
Are you coming?'', the report said. Bloomberg reported on the 7th, citing sources familiar with the matter, that some of China's major fertilizer producers have signed new urea export contracts since the beginning of this month.
I told them that it wasn't. At least one producer has announced plans to reduce exports of urea. According to the Hankyoreh Newspaper, a Korean newspaper, China's largest urea producer and exporter, China Nong Group (CN
On the 2nd of this month, AMPG announced that ``urea prices have been rising in China recently'' and will reduce export shipments in order to support domestic supply and maintain prices at stable levels. Toi
cormorant. According to the paper, the price of urea in China has actually been rising recently, with the futures price of urea in China's Zhengzhou commodity market soaring 50% between late June and the end of July; ,
It is said to have repeatedly gone up and down. According to Yonhap News, the average price per ton of urea futures on the first day of this month was 2,356 formers (approximately 47,000 yen), significantly higher than June 12th (1,649 formers).
Rose. Urea water is a substance used in exhaust gas reduction equipment to remove nitrogen oxides emitted from diesel cars. In South Korea, the proportion of diesel cars is high among vehicles, and the raw material for urea water is
Most of the industrial urea used as raw material is imported from China. In October 2021, China required export inspection for urea, the raw material for urea water, effectively restricting exports, and in South Korea.
There was a shortage of urea water. At the time, South Korean media said, ``If the chaos continues for a long time, not only delivery and cargo trucks, but also fire engines and ambulances will be unable to operate, resulting in the loss of logistics and public safety infrastructure.
There are growing concerns that the entire country could be paralyzed." Sales of urea water stopped at many gas stations, and a dump truck driver told the Hankyoreh newspaper at the time, ``It's not going to stay like this.''
We have no choice but to stop the trucks within a week." The manager of a gas station in Seoul said, ``Normally, when we order urea water from our business partners, it arrives within a day or two, but last week we sold out of it.''
After that, I was told, ``I don't know when I'll be allowed in.'' "Recently, I receive more than 10 calls a day asking if I can buy urea water." Due to supply shortages, panic buying and holding back on selling
There was also confusion as the number of cases was rampant. This time, foreign media reported that China had requested some of its domestic fertilizer production companies to suspend urea exports, and Korean media reported that ``China's suspension of urea exports has become a reality.''
If this happens, there are concerns that South Korea will once again face a shortage of urea water, similar to when China suspended urea exports in 2021.'' (The Hankyoreh Newspaper)
According to the Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, in response to the ``urea water affair'' in 2021, the South Korean government sought to diversify its urea imports. As a result, the ratio of Chinese products temporarily decreased, but
Due to the price competitiveness of urea, Korean companies are once again choosing Chinese-made urea, and it is said that Chinese-made urea accounted for 90% of the industrial urea imported by South Korea in the first half of this year.
Urea can be broadly divided into industrial uses such as vehicles, and agricultural uses to make fertilizer. The South Korean government has announced that China has requested its companies to stop exporting urea.
The government denied the concerns that were suddenly surfacing, saying that the report (which the government denies) was limited to urea for fertilizer use. According to JoongAng Ilbo, South Korean imports of urea for fertilizer use
The Middle East had the highest ratio, at 51% in the January-July period of this year. On the other hand, in China it was only 17%. This means that not much urea for fertilizer comes in from China. On the other hand, industry
Regarding commercial urea, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said, ``There are no problems with prices within China, and there are no confirmed moves to restrict exports.The supply chain cooperation channel is operating stably between Korea and China.''
emphasized.