Regulatory Improvements Set Sail for Commercialization of Promising Technologies

The 17th Regulatory Free Zone Committee Held
Regulatory Improvements Completed for Ulsan Hydrogen Zone, Gangwon Digital Healthcare Zone, and Others
Accelerating Technology Commercialization

The government announced that it held the "Regulatory Free Zone Committee" in writing from November 19 to 21. During this committee meeting, the following items were reviewed and resolved: the follow-up action plan for regulatory free zones, the 2024 operational performance evaluation results for regulatory free zones, and significant changes to previously designated zones. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to officially announce the results of the committee's discussions in the government gazette.

Looking at the main agenda items, first, follow-up measures will be implemented for 14 demonstration projects ending this year, depending on whether regulatory improvements are made. These measures include the termination of zones or projects, granting or extending temporary permits, and extending demonstration exemptions. Three zones will be terminated as regulatory improvements have been made through the enactment or revision of laws: the Ulsan Hydrogen Green Mobility Zone, the Jeju Electric Vehicle Charging Service Zone, and the Gangwon Digital Healthcare Zone. These zones have now commercialized new technologies and products, enabling full-scale market entry.

To improve regulations for projects that have been verified for demonstration and safety, a temporary permit will be granted to the Busan Ammonia Eco-Friendly Energy Zone. Temporary permits will be extended for three zones: the Jeonnam New Energy Industry Zone, the Jeonbuk Carbon Convergence Industry Zone, and the Jeju Electric Vehicle Charging Service Zone. For some projects in the Jeonnam Eco-Friendly HDPE Small Fishing Vessel Zone and the Jeonbuk Carbon Convergence Industry Zone, the demonstration exemption period will be extended to allow additional demonstrations to verify safety and the need for regulatory improvements.

The committee also reviewed and resolved the results of the operational performance evaluation. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of each zone's achievement of policy goals, demonstration and regulatory management performance, and the business performance of participating companies, four outstanding zones were selected within the regulatory free zones: the Daegu Mobile Cooperative Robot Zone, the Gyeongbuk Smart Green Logistics Zone, the Chungbuk Green Hydrogen Industry Zone, and the Gyeongbuk Next-Generation Wireless Charging for Electric Vehicles Zone. In the Global Innovation Zones, the Chungbuk Advanced Regenerative Bio Zone was selected as an outstanding zone.

The committee also reviewed important changes, such as amendments to demonstration exemptions and the addition of new business operators, for the Ulsan Ammonia Bunkering Zone, the Gangwon AI Healthcare Zone, and the Daejeon Synthetic Biology-Based Advanced Bio-Manufacturing Zone.

Han Sung Sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated, "We must apply regulatory exemptions tailored to the characteristics of each region within the regulatory free zones and ensure that the safety and business viability of new industries utilizing new technologies are verified so that they can become regional strategic industries through the zone system." She added, "We will continue to make efforts to ensure that new technologies can grow into new industries without being hindered by regulatory barriers."

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