SEOUL: Nissan Motor Co Ltd's South Korean unit said it has filed a lawsuit over claims by the government that the automaker had cheated on emissions with its Qashqai diesel sport utility vehicle.

The environment ministry this month fined Nissan 340 million won ($290,000) and ordered the recall of more than 800 Qashqai vehicles sold, accusing the Japanese automaker of using a so-called defeat device in its Qashqai model.

"We have filed the lawsuit to dispute the ministry's accusations," a spokesman at Nissan Korea said.

The ministry has also filed a complaint with prosecutors against Nissan Korea and its president Takehiko Kikuchi, charging them of violating an environment law. "We believe that we have taken appropriate legal action," a ministry official said on Friday. South Korea conducted tests on 20 diesel vehicles made by various automakers after it had found Volkswagen AG manipulated emissions of some vehicles sold in the country.

A South Korean court on Friday issued the first warrant for the arrest of a Volkswagen official in connection with its cheating of vehicle emissions tests.