By Lee Su-hwan
Digital Daily

shulee@ddaily.co.kr

An executive of LG Electronics was questioned by police in Germany for allegedly damaging washing machines of rival Samsung Electronics on purpose in a mall in Berlin, Saturn.

Corporate sources said on Sept. 3 (local time) that the executive was spotted by shop clerks breaking the hinges between the doors and bodies of Samsung washing machines during his visit to the Saturn store with some other LG officials. Saturn is a mall of electronic goods, like Electro Land and Himart in Korea. It also has a store in Alexanderplatz, a large public square and transport hub in Berlin.

During police questioning, the LG executive reportedly denied the charge at first. But he admitted it after CCTV footage showed him pressing down on the doors of Samsung washing machines. The police closed the case after the LG staff members agreed to compensate for all of the four damaged products.

Samsung Electronics is checking whether there have been similar cases in other electronic shops in Berlin. But LG Electronics claimed that the damage was unintentional and occurred while the executive was only testing the quality of Samsung washing machines. A group of Korean journalists also visited the Saturn store on the day but did not find any problems in opening Samsung washing machines until they left at noon.