South Korea: New regulation for autonomous vehicles

 

The Korea Transportation Safety Authority has announced its intention, starting on the 21st March 2024, to implement an approval system for Level 4 autonomous vehicles. This decision follows the enactment of amendments to the Automobile Management Act and the Self-Driving Vehicle Act, aimed at establishing a secure environment for autonomous driving.

With the recent promulgation of the revised Autonomous Vehicle Act, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) is now empowered to assess and validate autonomous vehicles, even in the absence of established safety standards. The amendment also includes provisions allowing conditionally approved suitability for self-driving cars that have obtained performance certification, with limitations on their operational purposes and areas.

Efforts are underway by MOLIT and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority to establish safety standards for Level 4 autonomous vehicles within the current year. Until then, the Corporation will serve as the designated authority responsible for tasks such as performance certification, conformity approval, and ongoing management of Level 4 autonomous vehicles, with a focus on fostering a secure autonomous driving environment.

Presently, Level 4 autonomous vehicle services are available in 34 designated self-driving car pilot zones nationwide. Since 2016, the Corporation has operated a temporary autonomous vehicle operation permit system, with approximately 434 vehicles permitted for testing and research purposes.

However, these permits are currently limited to a duration of 5 years, and formal registration is not yet feasible. This limitation poses challenges for autonomous vehicle development companies in realizing tangible profit generation.

There is industry optimism that the revision of the Self-Driving Car Act will drive sales for self-driving car development companies and facilitate the commercialization of self-driving services. The Corporation estimates that this could lead to an economic impact exceeding 50 billion won.

In February, the revised Automobile Management Act was also enacted, mandating autonomous vehicle manufacturers to establish cybersecurity management systems and obtain certification from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport for self-certification. The Corporation oversees tasks to ensure automobile cybersecurity safety, including certification of automobile cybersecurity management systems.

The revisions to the Automobile Management Act were prompted by the anticipated rise in automotive electronic components and the need to address increasing cybersecurity threats, such as hacking demonstrations targeting vehicles with external communication functions.

To find out more about regulations for autonomous vehicles worldwide, please contact the Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research directly.