Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport-Korea Transportation Safety Authority, within Gimcheon Innovation City
Establishment and opening of the Advanced Automotive Inspection Research Center, "Cavik."
Development of safety inspection technology for advanced vehicles during their operational stages.


The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority announced on the 18th that they will officially launch the Korea Advanced Vehicle Inspection R&D Center (KAVIK) to ensure the operational safety of advanced vehicles such as autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs).
Five years ago, the number of EVs was only around 6,000, but today, the number has skyrocketed to 120,000. With the increasing number of vehicles equipped with advanced safety features such as lane departure warning systems, automatic emergency braking systems, and adaptive cruise control, which enable autonomous lane changes and overtaking, the role of vehicle inspections in ensuring the safety of cutting-edge vehicles, including electric, hydrogen, and autonomous vehicles, has become increasingly crucial.

Since 2017, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority have invested approximately 23 billion won to promote the construction of the Cavic in Gimcheon Innovation City, Gyeongbuk. Kabic will be operated by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and a new operating organization has been established within the authority.

Going forward, Kabic will conduct R&D on advanced safety device inspection technology (2021-22) and hydrogen bus inspection technology (2021-23).

Furthermore, in response to future changes in the transportation environment, we will develop and disseminate inspection technologies to ensure the safety of advanced vehicles during operation, ensuring efficient implementation of vehicle inspection and safety policies. Through the development and training of specialized training programs for advanced automotive professionals, we will also contribute to enhancing the expertise of automotive industry workers and creating new jobs in new industries.

Earlier this year, South Korea became the first country in the world to adopt Level 3 autonomous vehicle safety standards, enabling the launch and sale of autonomous vehicles equipped with autonomous vehicle maintenance functions starting in July. Last year, South Korea was appointed the Asian Chair of the Comité International de l'Inspection Technique Automobile (CITA), a UN advisory body, and is planning joint research abroad. This, coupled with the country's appointment as the Asian Chair of CITA, a UN advisory body, suggests that Kavik's role in leading the global automotive inspection industry is expected to grow even further.

Yoon Jin-hwan, Director General of Automobile Management at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “In line with the expansion of advanced vehicles such as electric, hydrogen, and autonomous vehicles, we will accelerate the development and distribution of inspection technology to create a safe driving environment,” and “We will strive to ensure that Carbic can play a key role in the international standardization of inspection systems and standards.”