Gwangju City Significantly Expands Early Retirement Support for Old Diesel Vehicles

Gwangju City Hall

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 12th that it is accepting applications for the ‘2020 Early Retirement Support Project for Old Diesel Vehicles’ to reduce automobile emissions, a major source of air pollution such as fine dust.

The application period is from the 18th of this month to the 5th of next month. To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, applications will be accepted via the internet and registered mail this month, and if the virus spread subsides, in-person applications will also be accepted on the 1st floor of City Hall from the 2nd to the 5th of next month.

Internet applications can be submitted by signing up, logging in, and verifying identity via mobile phone on the Ministry of Environment’s ‘Vehicle Emission Grade System’ website.

Registered mail applications should be sent to the Climate and Air Quality Division of Gwangju City, including the early retirement application form, a copy of the owner’s ID, and a copy of the vehicle registration certificate.

Application forms can be downloaded from the announcement posted in the Notice section under City News on the city’s website or obtained at the local community service centers.

Eligible vehicles include diesel vehicles with emission grade 5 and road-use type 3 construction machinery (dump trucks, concrete mixer trucks, concrete pump trucks) manufactured before 2005 under the emission standards. Vehicles that have previously received government support for installing emission reduction devices or converting to low-emission engines are excluded.

Emission grade 5 can be confirmed by calling the regional number +114, the call center (1833-7435), or through the Ministry of Environment’s ‘Vehicle Emission Grade System’ website.

To qualify for early retirement, the vehicle must have been continuously registered and owned in Gwangju for at least six months as of the application deadline, and the vehicle must be deemed in normal condition.

In particular, if the owner of the eligible vehicle is from a low-income household, the support rate will be increased by 10% within the upper limit compared to general applicants.

Among applicants, priority will be given to those eligible for support to purchase a new LPG 1-ton cargo vehicle after early retirement, vehicles with a total weight of 3.5 tons or more, or vehicles that are older in model year (manufacture date).

The early retirement subsidy will be provided differentially based on vehicle type, model year, and type, using the vehicle standard value from the Korea Insurance Development Institute and the standard market price from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Early retirement candidates will be individually notified by mail after the end of April. Upon receiving the selection notice, applicants must obtain a used vehicle performance and condition inspection report, scrap the vehicle, and then claim the subsidy.

This year’s support scale targets 5,500 old diesel vehicles.

For vehicles under 3.5 tons, 70% of the vehicle standard value will be supported up to a maximum of 3 million KRW at scrapping, and an additional 30% will be supported if a new non-diesel vehicle is purchased after scrapping.

For diesel vehicles over 3.5 tons and road-use construction machinery, the support amount is up to 30 million KRW, with 100% of the vehicle standard value supported at scrapping and an additional 200% supported upon new vehicle purchase.

Jung Dong-hoon, head of the Climate and Air Quality Division, said, “As the early retirement target has been greatly expanded to reduce fine dust, we hope owners of old diesel vehicles and construction machinery will actively participate in the early retirement project.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.