"Who Is Responsible in the Era Without Drivers?"... South Korea and UK Redefine Autonomous Driving Rules

Collaboration Accelerates, Drawing on the UK's Institutional Experience
Insurance and Operational Systems Emerge as Key Battlegrounds for Global Standards

In the era of autonomous vehicles where drivers are no longer present, the question arises: who should be held responsible in the event of an accident? As institutional competition intensifies, moving beyond technological rivalry to redefine the "rules of the game" for responsibility, insurance, and operational systems, South Korea and the United Kingdom have begun jointly designing the next-generation standards for autonomous driving.

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK) announced on April 16 that it held the UK-Korea Policy Technology Forum on Autonomous Vehicles jointly with the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) at Prince Philip House in London, UK, where policy and technology cooperation measures for the autonomous driving era were discussed.

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK) held the "UK-Korea Policy Technology Forum on Autonomous Vehicles" jointly with the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) at Prince Philip House in London, UK, from the 13th to the 15th, discussing policy and technology cooperation methods for the autonomous driving era. Forum participants are taking a group photo after the event. Courtesy of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea

The main focus of this forum was the redesign of the responsibility structure for the "No User in Charge (NUiC)" era. As autonomous driving moves beyond technological verification into actual service deployment, how to allocate and operate responsibility among vehicle manufacturers, autonomous driving software companies, and driving service operators has become a critical issue for the industry.

The United Kingdom became the first country in the world to legally establish the concept of the No User in Charge (NUiC) Operator through its Autonomous Vehicles Act in 2024. Taking reference from this, South Korea has begun in-depth discussions on establishing a Driving Service Provider (DSP) system, as proposed by the NAEK Autonomous Driving Committee.

The key issues include the operational structure connecting vehicles and remote operation centers, determining responsibility based on accident data, and defining the scope of remote intervention. Ultimately, this is a process of providing institutional answers to the fundamental question of autonomous driving: "Who will be responsible, and who will operate the vehicle?"

It was also emphasized that the industrial structure is rapidly shifting from a focus on car manufacturing to platform-based services. Driving service providers are becoming the central axis of vehicle operation and service provision, and as data-driven service models emerge as the main source of revenue, a comprehensive approach that simultaneously designs both technology and market is necessary.

In particular, the insurance sector discussed the need for a new responsibility system that goes beyond traditional driver liability to include manufacturers, technology companies, and driving service providers sharing responsibility. The "pay first, settle later" insurance model, which prioritizes user protection immediately after an accident and then allocates costs among responsible parties, was discussed as a key policy issue. This structure ensures user protection right after an accident, with costs settled among those responsible afterward.

Through this forum, the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in policy, institutions, insurance, and technology, and are considering jointly organizing another event centered on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Seoul this September. Their strategy is to secure leadership in the global competition for autonomous driving standards by combining the UK's experience in institutional leadership with South Korea's strengths in artificial intelligence (AI), information and communications technology (ICT), and manufacturing.

Yoon Euijoon, President of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, said, "Autonomous driving is a game changer that will reshape national systems and industrial structures, beyond simple technological competition. We look forward to creating a leading model for the global era of autonomous driving through practical cooperation that combines the strengths of both countries."

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