Co-Living and Dog-Friendly Restaurant Businesses Become Possible in Korea as Well

KCCI-Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Approve 15 Cases Through 'Industrial Convergence Sandbox Deliberation Committee'
Youth Housing Crisis Solution 'Shared Housing House'
Pet Customized Takeout Restaurant
Overseas Koreans' Non-Face-to-Face Medical Services and Other Business Permits Granted

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] A 'shared housing house' where you have your own room but share the kitchen, bathroom, cafe, etc., and a 'customized takeout restaurant for pets' that makes tailored food for your dog at home are opening. 'Non-face-to-face medical services for overseas Koreans' and 'self-diagnosis for human papillomavirus (HPV)' have also passed the sandbox.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Sandbox Support Center and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 31st at the 'Industrial Convergence Sandbox Deliberation Committee' held at the KCCI building in Seoul that 15 cases were approved, including ① shared housing house ② customized takeout restaurant for pets ③ fuel cell installation at gas stations ④ HPV presence confirmation service ⑤ non-face-to-face medical services for overseas Koreans (6 cases) ⑥ wireless update of automobile electronic control devices ⑦ automatic liquor vending machines (3 cases) ⑧ smart electricity theft prevention outlets.

Shared Housing House: My room is 3 pyeong but our house is 200 pyeong

On this day, 'Shared Housing House' applied by MGRV received temporary approval. Shared housing is a new residential type where you have a private room serving as a bedroom and study room, and share the kitchen, bathroom, cafe, etc. with others. It is similar to a share house where multiple people live in one household, but there is 'my own private space.' It also differs in that it provides various community environments such as a movie theater, cafe, and exercise facilities in addition to the living room and kitchen. The rent is similar to newly built one-room apartments nearby but the deposit is lower. Furniture such as bed, desk, storage, household appliances, coworking cafe, TV, and high-speed internet, as well as various convenience services, are all included in the rent, making it more economical.

It first appeared in expensive overseas major cities such as London, New York, Paris, and Hong Kong since 2015 as an alternative to solve youth housing difficulties. However, there were no clear standards for shared housing under domestic law. Even if the most similar form, one-room (urban-type residential housing), is applied, each household must install a bathroom and kitchen, and the number of spaces within the household can be up to two.

The deliberation committee granted temporary approval for shared housing considering the trend of expanding shared housing among non-family relationships and to promote housing supply for single young households. It allowed up to three bedrooms within the household space and required a minimum of 7㎡ for private space.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the related government agency, plans to establish detailed standards for shared housing and will first improve the spatial composition regulations in urban-type residential housing.

Customized Takeout Restaurant for Pets: Feeding my dog tailored food

The 'customized takeout restaurant for pets' (applicant: Allpin), which makes and sells customized pet food on the spot, is also opening through the sandbox. When pet owners enter their pet’s breed, gender, weight, veterinarian diagnosis results, and other health information into a smartphone app, Allpin cooks customized food on the spot and sells it packaged and delivered.

Under the current Feed Control Act, all food eaten by pets is classified as feed, requiring manufacturing facilities to meet the same standards as feed for livestock and registration as a manufacturer. Also, all ingredients and their quantities must be registered with the provincial governor, making on-the-spot production of customized feed impossible.

Allpin plans to open its first store in Gwangjin-gu and operate a total of three customized takeout restaurants for pets in Seoul over the next two years.

Fuel cells installed at gas stations to produce electricity... Non-face-to-face COVID-19 medical treatment possible

Non-face-to-face medical treatment was also additionally permitted. This service allows Korean medical staff to provide non-face-to-face medical services to overseas Koreans in COVID-19 blind spots abroad. Hi-Care Net (formerly Inseong Information), JLK, Bumin Hospital, MD Square, Dr. Now (formerly Dr. Guide), and Bplus Lab received temporary approval.

The HPV presence confirmation service (applicant: TCM Life Science) will also be launched in the market. Users collect samples themselves using a self-collection kit and send them to a testing institution (medical institution), where a specialist confirms the presence or absence of the virus and delivers the results to the user via email or app.

Since notifying test results by email or app without visiting a hospital is considered non-face-to-face medical treatment between doctor and patient and is currently prohibited by law, the deliberation committee allowed a two-year demonstration exception.

In addition, an OTA (Over-The-Air) service that wirelessly updates automobile electronic control devices without visiting a repair shop received temporary approval (applicant: Volvo Cars Korea). OTA sandbox approval was first granted to Hyundai Motor Company in June last year. Also, unmanned automatic liquor vending machines (applicants: Ilwol Precision and two others) and smart electricity theft prevention outlets in parking lots (applicant: Rain Circle) were approved.

Meanwhile, the KCCI Sandbox Support Center is the first private sandbox organization in Korea. It supports all industrial sectors including ICT convergence, industrial convergence, and financial innovation sandboxes. Since its launch in May last year, 90 innovative products and services have received sandbox exceptions. Companies that cannot commercialize due to lack of laws or outdated laws (Loophole) can receive free consulting at the KCCI Sandbox (Sandbox.korcham.net).

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