To Operate Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles, 15,000 km of Driving Experience Required

Ministry Establishes Safety Guidelines for Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles

Going forward, in order to operate unmanned autonomous vehicles in Korea, a minimum driving record of 15,000 kilometers will be required.

On July 7, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it has established guidelines outlining the safety requirements for unmanned autonomous vehicles. These guidelines were created to proactively provide criteria that allow companies to obtain temporary operation permits and safely develop Level 4 autonomous driving technology for unmanned vehicles, even before international standards are institutionalized in Korea. Level 4 autonomous driving technology refers to fully autonomous driving where the system responds to emergencies without the need for a driver.

As a mandatory requirement, the minimum driving record has been set at 15,000 kilometers. Up to five vehicles equipped with the same autonomous driving system or specifications that have each driven more than 3,000 kilometers may combine their accumulated mileage. In the event of accidents or other emergency situations, the vehicles must be equipped with real-time monitoring of driving and traffic conditions, as well as two-way communication devices between the remote control center and the vehicle, to facilitate responses such as remote emergency stops.

Autonomous shuttles are operating around the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on the 28th. 2025.10.28 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Passengers in the vehicle must also be able to press an emergency stop button or similar device to halt the vehicle at any time. An emergency braking function that operates independently from the main system must also be installed. In addition, if the vehicle malfunctions or leaves its designated operating area, the system must send a real-time warning to the remote control center, activate the emergency hazard lights, and safely bring the vehicle to a stop.

Park Junhyeong, Director-General of the Mobility Vehicle Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "We will actively support the development of fully unmanned autonomous driving technology by domestic companies, while prioritizing safety as our top value, and will continue to pursue policies that strike a balance between technological innovation and safety assurance."

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