Blue House lauds more reducing of regulations

The government said it will ease existing regulations and set up new rules to help the private sector test cutting-edge technology-based products like driverless cars, drones, solar panel modules and carbon fibers to help Korean companies get ahead in new markets.

Major government ministries unveiled lists of regulations to be eased at a ministerial meeting on regulatory reform, hosted by President Park Geun-hye at the Blue House on Friday, with business lobbying group leaders, small business owners and foreign company executives.

Park emphasized the need for the government to accelerate regulatory reform to catch up with technological development and encourage the private sector to develop new products to proactively create markets.

“These [new businesses] have to be accelerated [by efforts to ease regulations],” Park said at the meeting after a businessperson requested the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety allow insects to be considered a food ingredient. “It is important that the government move proactively by finding out the private sector’s needs quickly and prepare regulations to be eased, even before they demand it.”

Driverless cars can be tested in some rural areas of Suwon, Yongin, Hwaseong and Goyang in Gyeonggi starting in February, reported the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Other sections of the Gyeongbu and Yeongdong Expressways, which connect Seoul, Singal Junction and Hobeop Interchange, will also be opened for trials of autonomous cars. Any automakers can test there after registering with the Transport Ministry.

The government is rewriting policies on licenses, safety rules for cruise control systems, and working on maintenance of roads and traffic signs for a future in which driverless cars and regular cars meet.

To foster drones and urge more industries to use drones, the Transport Ministry designated four areas - Busan, Daegu, Yeongwol County in Gangwon and Goheung County in South Jeolla - as test areas for commercial drone technologies.

Any drone makers can test drones of up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds) in these cities after registering with the ministry.

Specific frequency standards, which are required when controlling drones from the ground, will be announced in January.

To encourage more electronics and home appliance companies to test and roll out Internet of Things-enabled products, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning decided to open additional frequency bandwidth near 15 gigahertz, which won’t require a company to get government licenses.

Building-integrated solar modules, currently being developed by LG and many small and midsize companies, are a promising product that can’t be retailed locally.

The Korean legal system does not have a law that recognizes the module as a renewable energy facility. That will be changed by next year.

BY KIM JI-YOON, SHIN YONG-HO [kim.jiyoon@joongang.co.kr]