Another BMW 520d caught fire on Thursday after the German automaker agreed to recall thousands of cars sold in Korea. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will take roughly 10 months to determine the cause of the fires even though BMW has already proffered a conclusion.

Kim Kyung-wook at the ministry told reporters on Thursday, "We need more time to investigate the issue. It will take around 10 months."

BMW will submit documents to the ministry on Friday to prove that the exhaust gas recirculation module in its diesel engines is to blame. But Kim said the ministry will determine whether or not to announce BMW's claims after reviewing the material.

Experts are incredulous that it should take so long. Kim Pil-soo at Daelim University said, "It makes no sense to take 10 months when public safety is at stake." Another expert said, "The government must publish the documents BMW provides and seek the help of private-sector experts in determining the cause of the problem as soon as possible."

