The regulatory framework governing the automotive industry is rapidly undergoing a shift, moving beyond electrification and autonomous driving to focus increasingly on data, security, and safety. While the government is actively promoting mobility innovation, it is simultaneously tightening regulations on core risks such as vehicle cybersecurity and the safety management of charging facilities.

In this newsletter, LIN Mobility Team introduces three major developments from October 2025: amendment to the Electrical Safety Management Act (mandatory reporting and insurance for charging facilities), Mobility Innovation Committee’s approval of regulatory exceptions, and amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Motor Vehicle Management Act (addition of cyberattacks as new grounds for restricting vehicle operation).

Enforcement of the Amended Electrical Safety Management Act (effective November 28, 2025)
(The addition of a mandatory reporting requirement for the installation of EV charging facilities and the obligation for charging service providers to obtain liability insurance)

The partial amendment to the Electrical Safety Management Act, promulgated on May 27, 2025, will take effect on November 28, 2025. Amidst the rapid expansion of the EV charging facilities, the amendment was introduced to prevent safety accidents arising from their installation and operation and to reinforce the system for prompt compensation for damages.

Following the enforcement of the revised Act, a new obligation to report the installation or alteration of charging facilities to the relevant mayor or provincial governor has been established. Furthermore, the mandatory liability insurance requirement, designed to cover third-party damages caused by charging facilities, has been significantly reinforced. Consequently, the reporting procedure has become an administrative prerequisite for the entire process, including the new establishment, expansion, or replacement of charging equipment. Charging service providers must confirm and substantiate their enrollment in and maintenance of insurance coverage by the effective date; failure to comply may result in administrative sanctions such as fines.

Additionally, even charging facilities that are currently in operation must fulfill the reporting and insurance subscription requirements within six months from the effective date of the amended Act.

This amendment is expected to increase the regulatory burden on EV charging service providers across the board of installation and operation.

Mobility Innovation Committee Grants 15 Regulatory Exceptions (Sandbox Approvals)
Including dedicated long-distance lanes on expressways and the installation of logojectors to prevent 119 ambulance accidents

Pursuant to Article 12 of the Act on the Support for the Innovation and Revitalization of Mobility, it is possible to grant regulatory exceptions for demonstrations under certain conditions upon a corporation’s application regarding unreasonable mobility-related regulations. The review of these exceptions is conducted by the Mobility Innovation Committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), and the Committee typically decides on exception grants once per quarter.

MOLIT's 6th Mobility Innovation Committee approved a total of 15 regulatory sandbox exceptions for demonstrations. Key exceptions include:

- Audio-visual warning devices combining a nighttime logojector* and a daytime directional siren** are exceptionally permitted under the Motor Vehicle Management Act for 119 ambulances. This enables warnings to surrounding vehicles before entering intersections.
* A device that projects a specific logo or text onto the road surface at night, clearly warning drivers of "Ambulance Approaching" when entering an intersection.
** A siren designed to focus sound in a specific direction for increased range.

- The Korea Expressway Corporation is permitted a special exception under the Road Traffic Act to test the operation of a 'Dedicated Long-Distance Lane,' which separates long-distance and short-distance vehicle flows by lane in certain congested sections.

- A model allowing individuals to acquire multiple corporate taxi licenses and convert them into restricted licenses—operating only in specific areas and during specific hours—has been approved, paving the way for the possibility of reducing the corporate taxi fleet without financial investment.

- A special exception to the Passenger Transport Service Act was granted, integrating the business zone for call-platform-based premium taxis into the Seoul-Incheon-Gyeonggi metropolitan area unit.

Furthermore, an additional 11 cases were approved, including support for the mobility of transport-vulnerable groups, mediation for personal/neighbor-to-neighbor car-sharing in Chungnam region, replacement vehicle service in the event of a truck accident, and tuning of the loading device of recycling collection vehicles using advanced materials. The safety and operational effectiveness of these cases will be verified in the field to support institutional improvements.

Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Motor Vehicle Management Act
The addition of ‘threat to public safety due to cyberattacks/threats to automobiles' as a ground for restricting vehicle operation

The Enforcement Decree of the Motor Vehicle Management Act was recently promulgated (Presidential Decree No. 35703) on August 12, 2025, and entered into force on August 14, 2025. The core of this amendment is the insertion of Article 5, which specifies "a cyberattack or threat to automobiles that may pose a severe risk to the safe operation of an automobile or to public safety" as a direct basis for an operation restriction order. This provides a legal framework allowing the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to command an operation restriction (e.g., temporary suspension of operation, feature limitation, return to a designated location). The restriction would be limited by specific vehicle type, software version, region, and time period, preventing the spread of accidents when signs of an intrusion are identified (e.g., intrusion into vehicle/part ECUs, malicious modification of over-the-air (OTA) updates, remote control attempts, etc.).

Given that operation restrictions due to cyberattacks/threats under this amendment are imposed by vehicle type and not individual automobiles (pursuant to Article 25(2) of the Motor Vehicle Management Act), a command to restrict operation is expected to cause massive damage to the business of automobile manufacturers. Accordingly, the importance of cybersecurity has significantly increased from a risk management perspective in the automotive industry.

***

LIN LLC has extensive experience in providing advisory and litigation services in the mobility industry, particularly in areas such as administrative regulations, and patent and trade secret disputes related to motor vehicles. Our Mobility Team consists of attorneys and experts with a distinctive interest and passion for automobiles.

Should you wish to learn more about this newsletter or have any other inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact LIN’s Mobility Team.

Attorney Tae-Joon Bae (tjbae@law-lin.com, +82 10 8237 8123)
Attorney Min-Gu Kang (mgkang@law-lin.com, +82 10 3907 9217)
Attorney Ho-Yeon Kim (hykim@law-lin.com, +82 2 3477 6300)
Attorney Jung-Pil Oh (jpoh@law-lin.com, +82 2 3477 8695)