FKCCI Proposes 20 '2020 New Industry Regulatory Improvement Tasks' to Government

Request for Establishing Related Systems for Autonomous Driving, Big Data, New Energy... "Urgent Need for Proactive Response to New Industry Transition"
"Remove Regulatory Barriers in the 4th Industrial Revolution Sector and Create a Foundation for Corporate Innovation and Growth"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) has requested the government to improve regulations related to new industries such as autonomous driving and new energy to foster their growth.

On the 19th, the FKI announced that after collecting opinions from its member companies, it selected a total of 20 items for the '2020 New Industry Regulatory Improvement Tasks' and submitted them to the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

First, the FKI proposed regulatory improvements related to automobiles, including ▲establishing a legal basis for mobile driver's licenses and ▲shortening the timeline for establishing systems related to platooning in autonomous driving.

The FKI suggested that South Korea also establish a legal basis for mobile driver's licenses to continuously advance the business. Countries such as the United States and Australia have passed bills allowing digital driver's licenses and are conducting pilot operations. However, since there is no legal basis for mobile driver's licenses under current laws, the automobile industry has obtained a two-year temporary permit through a regulatory sandbox. The industry points out that Korea should proactively establish a digital driver's license system to prepare for changes in the transportation environment, such as shared transportation and autonomous driving.

The FKI proposed that the government expedite the establishment of systems related to autonomous driving and platooning technologies to facilitate their development. Platooning refers to a driving form where multiple vehicles follow a lead vehicle with a driver onboard at close intervals. While platooning technology is emerging mainly in countries like Europe and Japan due to advancements in autonomous driving technology, it is currently prohibited under South Korean law. The automobile industry aims to conduct demonstration tests on public roads by 2021, but the government plans to establish regulations related to platooning by 2022.

Regarding new energy regulatory improvements, the FKI proposed ▲improving the timing of offshore wind power project permit applications and ▲granting Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) for power generation facilities utilizing waste heat and waste pressure.

The FKI first suggested improving the timing for applying for permits for offshore wind power projects. Under the current Electricity Business Act, applicants must measure wind conditions for at least one year after installing wind measurement devices capable of measuring wind direction, wind speed, humidity, and ocean currents before applying for a power generation project permit. This is to prevent so-called 'land hoarding' on offshore wind sites without the intention to proceed with the project. As a result, offshore wind power operators install wind measurement devices costing 2.5 to 3 billion KRW but cannot apply for permits for over a year. The FKI's position is that the installation of offshore wind measurement devices alone should be considered as confirmation of the intention to proceed with the power generation project.

They also proposed recognizing the use of waste heat and waste pressure generated during the power generation process as new energy to activate related businesses.

The FKI also proposed allowing postpaid electronic payment methods to diversify payment options. The current Electronic Financial Transactions Act does not permit postpaid electronic payment methods, so prepaid electronic payment methods are mostly used. Therefore, the FKI requested that postpaid electronic payment methods be allowed in electronic transactions to expand consumers' payment method choices.

Additionally, the FKI proposed ▲simplifying consent procedures for essential data collection and third-party provision for service delivery and ▲activating healthcare services.

Yoo Hwan-ik, head of the FKI Corporate Policy Office, emphasized, "In a situation where the global economy is stagnating due to COVID-19, proactive responses for transitioning to new industries are urgently needed," adding, "We must remove regulatory barriers in fields related to the 4th Industrial Revolution, such as autonomous vehicles, big data, and new energy, which global economic powers are competitively fostering, and lay the foundation for corporate innovative growth."

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