800 Million Won Compensation for Putting Gasoline in a Diesel Car? 'Mixed Fuel Accident Prevention' Service Launched

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Approves 14 Regulatory Special Cases

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] A service that identifies whether a car uses gasoline or diesel based on its license plate and dispenses the appropriate fuel is being introduced. When a fueling error occurs, gas stations typically bear compensation liabilities ranging from 2 million to 8 million KRW, but this burden is expected to be lifted in the future. It will also become possible to purchase instant food from vending machines.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy approved a total of 14 regulatory exemptions at the first Industrial Convergence Regulatory Sandbox Committee meeting held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry this year.

The Regulatory Sandbox Committee granted a demonstration exemption for the fuel confusion (misfueling) prevention service applied for by LegalSite. This service captures and recognizes the vehicle license plate, then matches it with fuel type information from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority to enable only the fuel pump corresponding to the correct fuel type to operate. Currently, vehicle information cannot be collected, used, or provided without the consent of the data subject under the Personal Information Protection Act.

The committee allowed the demonstration, citing expected reductions in car repair costs, insurance premiums related to misfueling accidents, and dispute costs, as well as the potential for new industry creation. However, the applicant company must not store license plate numbers and must delete them immediately after fueling.

Instant food vending machines will also be introduced. According to the Food Sanitation Act, instant foods can only be sold in stores or via delivery and courier services, but considering the need for new sales channels for small business owners and consumer convenience, a demonstration was permitted. Restrictions include selling food made in shared kitchens with proven safety through up to 20 vending machines in the Seoul area.

Aram Huvis also received a demonstration exemption for 'personalized cosmetics.' This business measures and analyzes individual skin and hair conditions at skin care clinics, then uses accumulated big data to recommend cosmetic recipes and manufacture and sell cosmetics by subdividing and utilizing ingredients accordingly.

At this Regulatory Sandbox Committee meeting, not only 8 cases related to the Digital New Deal but also 6 cases related to the Green New Deal, including carbon neutrality, were submitted and passed review.

The 'small-scale solar power trading platform' applied for by H Energy and granted a demonstration exemption is a service that allows cooperatives to sell small-scale solar power generated on rooftops to cooperative members. Currently, under the Electricity Business Act, power generators and electricity sellers cannot engage in dual businesses, and trading electricity outside the power market is impossible. However, the demonstration was permitted as it is expected to contribute to the expansion of renewable energy production and distribution.

Until last year, the Regulatory Sandbox Committee has granted a total of 102 regulatory exemptions. Among these, 53 cases have started businesses, achieving investments of 64.4 billion KRW, sales of 28 billion KRW, and 104 new jobs.

Seong Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "This year, we plan to focus on identifying and resolving regulations related to the Korean New Deal, carbon neutrality, and digital transformation policies."

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