by Park Haesook
Published 21 Apr.2026 12:36(KST)
The Incheon Metropolitan Government has eased registration requirements for automobile management businesses to reduce the burden on small business owners struggling with the economic downturn and rising prices.
According to the city on April 21, the revised municipal ordinance that took effect on April 20 expands the qualifications for automobile maintenance personnel when registering an auto repair business. The criteria have been broadened from requiring at least a "technician" license to now include "assistant technician" (those with an assistant technician license and over three years of experience in the automotive maintenance field).
As a result, approximately 77,000 individuals nationwide who have not been recognized as official maintenance personnel since the "assistant technician" qualification was abolished about 20 years ago can now be officially registered and work as maintenance personnel in Incheon.
For used car dealerships, the requirement to install "maintenance and performance inspection facilities" in shared business premises has been removed to align with higher-level laws.
The structural requirements for automobile dealership showrooms have also been eased. In districts with a population of 500,000 or more, the district mayor is now granted the discretion to determine whether such facilities are necessary based on local conditions. The city expects this will reduce the initial investment burden on small business owners.
An official from Incheon Metropolitan Government stated, "Through this ordinance revision, we aim to substantially ease the management burden on small business owners in the automobile sector who are suffering from sluggish domestic demand, and we also expect to restore the legal status of skilled maintenance personnel who have been outside the institutional framework."
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