[In Review] Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Without 'Transportation'... Time to Discuss Mobility Department

Professor Kim Pil-su, Department of Automotive Engineering, Daelim University

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) is one of the central agencies within the national administrative organization. It plays a particularly important role among ministries related to mobility. The core authority held by MOLIT is 'regulation.' The rise or fall of the mobility industry can be determined by how appropriately MOLIT exercises its regulatory powers. Especially as the mobility industry, including automobiles, has emerged as one of the two major pillars driving the national economy alongside semiconductors, the role assigned to MOLIT is significant.

However, there is a question as to whether MOLIT is truly balancing between 'land' and 'transportation' as its name suggests. Currently, MOLIT is heavily skewed towards land, specifically real estate, with almost no focus on the transportation sector. This polarization is clearly reflected in the backgrounds of past MOLIT ministers. Most have expertise in land and real estate, while experts in automobiles and transportation are hard to find.

MOLIT has already failed to fulfill its role in mobility-related issues. Take, for example, the hot-button issue of large corporations entering the used car market. Although the Ministry of SMEs and Startups oversees this, MOLIT’s role is essential in practice. The core of the current Automobile Management Act is automobile sales, which MOLIT oversees. Furthermore, domestic used cars fall under MOLIT’s jurisdiction, while exported used cars are managed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, making MOLIT’s involvement crucial in this matter. However, in this ambiguous and conflict-ridden issue among stakeholders, MOLIT remains passive and merely observes.

The motorcycle market is no different. While MOLIT focuses on land, the domestic motorcycle industry and culture have regressed to a developing country level. Related systems such as motorcycle registration, operation methods, insurance, maintenance, and scrapping remain underdeveloped and outdated.

There has been no progress in the automobile tuning industry, which has been ongoing for nine years since the previous administration. MOLIT monopolizes regulatory authority over automobile tuning and has established a certification body under its jurisdiction, but it has yet to revitalize the industry. In the freight truck sector, urgent issues such as establishing advanced systems for cargo securing to prevent falling objects remain unresolved. This stagnation is a product of the absence of transportation focus.

In this regard, it is time to consider separating transportation from MOLIT and establishing it as an independent department. The future mobility industry urgently requires a role that 'integrates' different fields. Especially now, at a critical juncture where countries worldwide and automakers are competitively advancing electrification and smart technologies, the government needs to seriously consider creating an agency that integrates and oversees automobile and transportation policies. Various department names such as 'Mobility Integration Department' or 'Automobile and Transportation Department' could be considered. It is imperative to promptly establish a related department that separates and unites the automobile and transportation sectors and rebirths a department overseeing future mobility. This department should pursue a negative regulation policy and focus practically on creating future growth engines and jobs. From now on, it is essential to properly assess the current status of the mobility industry and take a comprehensive view of the entire industry.

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