Enforcement of Revised "Pedestrian Priority Road" Act... 40,000 KRW Fine and 10 Penalty Points for Non-Compliance

21 Pedestrian Priority Roads Designated in Busan, Daegu, and Daejeon

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] From now on, on roads designated as pedestrian priority roads where sidewalks and roadways are not separated, pedestrians will be able to use the entire road without having to avoid vehicles.

On the 11th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency announced that the Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Promotion Act (Pedestrian Safety Act) and the Road Traffic Act amendment introducing pedestrian priority roads will take effect on the 12th. Pedestrian priority roads were introduced to ensure pedestrian safety on roads where sidewalks and roadways are not separated and pedestrian safety is particularly threatened. On pedestrian priority roads, pedestrian traffic takes precedence over vehicle traffic.

Pedestrians will be able to use the entire road on pedestrian priority roads, but drivers will be subject to various pedestrian protection obligations such as slow driving and temporary stops, and if a driver fails to fulfill pedestrian protection duties on pedestrian priority roads, they may be fined 40,000 KRW and receive 10 penalty points based on passenger car standards.

The introduction and implementation of pedestrian priority roads this time is based on the results of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's pilot project on pedestrian priority roads from 2019 to 2021, which showed improvements in pedestrian safety, convenience, and comfort, as well as increased resident satisfaction. Based on local governments' self-inspections, 21 pilot project sites deemed suitable for designation and operation will be designated as pedestrian priority roads, and other pilot sites will be sequentially designated as pedestrian priority roads once environmental improvements are completed.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has prepared and distributed a pedestrian priority road manual to local governments to facilitate the early establishment of the pedestrian priority road system, and to prevent confusion that may occur in the early stages of the system's introduction, it plans to conduct on-site guidance and publicity together with the National Police Agency and local governments. Going forward, administrative and financial support measures will be prepared to activate the pedestrian priority road system.

Kim Seong-ho, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, said, “In the past 10 years, pedestrian traffic accident fatalities have accounted for 40% of all traffic accident deaths, threatening pedestrian safety, so the transition to a pedestrian-centered traffic safety system is an urgent task,” adding, “We will establish the foundation of an advanced pedestrian safety country through the early establishment of pedestrian priority roads.”

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