Photo : YONHAP News
The government sought ways to respond to the United States’ ban on sales of connected vehicles that have autonomous driving and communications functions using software and parts manufactured in China and Russia.
The discussion was held on Tuesday between officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and representatives from the domestic auto industry and related organizations.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of Commerce proposed a rule to prohibit the import or sale of connected vehicles integrating certain software and hardware with a “nexus” to China or Russia, citing national security concerns.
The ban on software integrated into the Vehicle Connectivity System and the Automated Driving System would take effect for the 2027 model, and the ban on hardware would go into force for the 2030 model.
The South Korean auto industry assessed that uncertainties stemming from the tentative rules have been reduced as their scope decreased in size, while a grace period on enforcement was included. It pledged to put forth a response strategy in the near future.
Seoul, which had raised concerns over Washington’s envisioned rules in April, intends to request minimization of their impact on the South Korean industries during a 30-day period of receiving related suggestions.