Seoul City Launches Special Crackdown on Unregistered and Illegally Modified Two-Wheel Vehicles Threatening Traffic Safety

Special Crackdown on Two-Wheel Vehicles for 3 Months Starting October to Alleviate Citizen Inconvenience and Prevent Traffic Accidents
Criminal Penalties and Administrative Measures Including Restoration Orders for Illegal Modification of Two-Wheel Vehicles

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 12th that it will conduct a special crackdown on unregistered and illegally modified motorcycles for three months starting in October, in collaboration with the police, autonomous districts, and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, to alleviate citizen inconvenience and prevent the risk of motorcycle safety accidents.

According to Seoul City, illegally modified motorcycles, such as those with noise prevention devices, unreported non-use, and deliberately obscured license plates, pose a high risk to traffic safety due to reckless driving and signal violations, highlighting the need for active enforcement. The focus of the crackdown will be motorcycles violating the Motor Vehicle Management Act, including illegal modifications such as noise prevention devices and headlights, unreported non-use, failure to attach license plates, obscured or damaged license plates, and unauthorized abandonment.

Seoul City plans to respond to citizen requests through continuous enforcement as the increase in delivery motorcycles and complaints about exhaust noise have risen recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This effort is expected to contribute to traffic safety by eliminating risk factors for traffic accidents in advance, along with alleviating citizen inconvenience.

This crackdown will be conducted jointly by Seoul City, autonomous districts, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and police stations, focusing on major motorcycle routes. Autonomous districts will also form their own enforcement teams to quickly assess illegal modifications on-site and carry out enforcement. Illegally modified motorcycles caught during the crackdown will face criminal penalties or administrative sanctions under the Motor Vehicle Management Act. Illegal modifications to mufflers or headlights may result in imprisonment of up to one year or fines up to 10 million KRW, unreported non-use and failure to attach license plates may incur fines up to 1 million KRW, and damaged or obscured license plates may result in fines up to 3 million KRW.

From January this year until September, a total of 136 enforcement actions were conducted mainly in complaint-prone areas such as major arterial roads and residential backstreets, resulting in the crackdown of 633 motorcycles violating the Motor Vehicle Management Act. Among these, 150 motorcycles with illegally modified noise prevention devices were identified.

Furthermore, to ensure a safe driving environment and alleviate citizens' inconvenience, reports of illegal motorcycles can be made through the Response Center, the National E-People system, or the Safety Reporting System, where violations will be verified and necessary measures taken.

Baek Ho, Director of the Urban Transportation Office of Seoul City, stated, “Illegally modified motorcycles pose a significant threat not only to the drivers but also to the safety of others. Structural changes to motorcycles must be legally approved by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. We ask for the active cooperation of the industry, drivers, and citizens to ensure traffic safety.”

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