[Asia Exclusive] "Advancing Traffic Culture Begins with Protecting the Vulnerable... Minsik's Law Is a Path We Must Take"

Drivers Become Pedestrians When Exiting Vehicles
Laws and Systems Should Be Designed with Pedestrians in Mind

Kwon Byung-yoon, Chairman of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, is being interviewed on the 25th at the Korea Transportation Safety Authority conference room in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] Kwon Byung-yoon, Chairman of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, is called a 'traffic safety culture evangelist.' He especially emphasizes the importance of traffic safety whenever he meets people. Since Korea's traffic safety awareness has not yet reached the level of major advanced countries, many people feel inconvenienced, making it a challenging task.

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 25th, Chairman Kwon said, "Drivers should recognize that once they get out of their cars, they become pedestrians and should raise their traffic safety awareness." He emphasized, "In the past, the traffic system was centered around cars, so pedestrian safety was relatively deprioritized, but going forward, Korea must reduce traffic accidents to the top ranks of the OECD countries."

He added, "Related laws and systems should be designed with pedestrians as the priority, and a culture where drivers respect this must be established."

He believes that the beginning of advancing traffic culture starts with protecting vulnerable road users. This is why he actively supports the 'Min-sik Act,' which many drivers oppose. Chairman Kwon said, "The Min-sik Act is a path we must take," and "Debating this issue proves that our traffic culture has not yet matured."

Chairman Kwon plans to do his best to reduce traffic accident fatalities during his remaining term. Upon his inauguration in December 2017, he declared that he would use all means to protect the lives and safety of the people from traffic accidents.

In fact, two and a half years after his inauguration, Chairman Kwon's goal has become a reality. Last year, the number of traffic accident deaths in Korea was 3,349, a decrease of 11.4% in one year. This double-digit reduction rate in fatalities is the first in 18 years since 2002.

Chairman Kwon said, "We have tirelessly worked with all staff to reduce traffic accident casualties," and "I am very pleased that the public's quality of life has improved thanks to the Authority's efforts."

Chairman Kwon's next goal is to lay the groundwork for the successful implementation of the 'Safe Speed 5030' policy, which will take effect in April next year. The 5030 policy lowers the speed limit on all general roads in urban areas from the current 60 km/h to 50 km/h and further strengthens it to 30 km/h in residential areas.

It is expected that once this policy is implemented, traffic accident fatalities nationwide will decrease by more than 60%. Chairman Kwon said, "It is a very simple policy, but it has not been introduced due to conflicts among stakeholders," and "Although there is opposition from the taxi industry and others, multiple tests have shown that travel time increases by only 2 to 3 minutes, while traffic accidents decrease by 25%. The necessity of the policy is clear."

◆ Profile of Chairman Kwon Byung-yoon

▲ Born March 1961 ▲ Hanyang University, Department of Civil Engineering ▲ Master’s in Transportation Engineering, University of Leeds, UK ▲ Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Hanyang University Graduate School ▲ Director of Seoul Regional Land Management Office, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ Director of Roads Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ Director General of Comprehensive Transportation Policy Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ Spokesperson, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ Deputy Administrator, Saemangeum Development Agency ▲ Director General of Transportation and Logistics Office, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ 16th Chairman of Korea Transportation Safety Authority

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