Criticism mounts over who would use the government-made precision maps for autonomous driving.

Autonomous vehicles are racing through the industrial sector. These days, the hot topic in both the automotive and IT industries is undoubtedly the self-driving car. Some call it the "near future," while others claim it is merely "marketing." Whether it is the future or marketing, the fact that it has recently become a widely discussed topic cannot be denied.

However, there is much talk about the autonomous vehicle industry, which is racing through the industry's headlines. Isn't that only natural? After all, while the goals are clear, there is still no tangible substance. That is why, if you attend seminars on autonomous vehicles, you will still find many presentations that begin by explaining the concepts.

Now, let's look at the most common definition of an autonomous vehicle (Wikipedia). An autonomous vehicle is a vehicle capable of safe driving on its own, minimizing driver 'operations' such as 'perceiving' the surrounding environment, 'judging' risks, and planning a driving route. When classifying the levels of autonomous vehicles, if Level 1 is unit-function automatic driving (selective automatic control of the steering wheel or pedals), then Level 3 or higher corresponds to autonomous driving under limited conditions.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kang Ho-in took a test ride in an autonomous vehicle on the 7th of last month.

Although there are differences among market research firms, it is expected that autonomous vehicles will account for 25% to as much as 75% of the total automobile market between 2030 and 2035, and that all new cars will be equipped with autonomous driving functions after 2050.

To become an autonomous vehicle, core supporting technologies must be in place. Advanced technologies such as LIDAR systems, GPS technology, IMU (which measures speed and direction using inertial measurements), HVI (optimized UI for the driver), smart actuator technology, V2X communication technology, and LDM (digital map technology) are required. In other words, all technologies, ranging from core components to road infrastructure and maps, must be mobilized.

Three Ministries Put Their Heads Together for Autonomous Vehicles, Between Overlap and Competition

To this end, countries around the world are busy formulating policies. The United States has legalized test runs in four states and Washington D.C., and a commercialization bill is currently underway in California. Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport and the State of Bavaria have announced the designation of test sections on the Autobahn, while Japan has authorized test runs for autonomous taxis and plans to commercialize them in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Accordingly, domestically, test operation regulations were improved last year to establish permit requirements, designate test road sections, and temporarily permit autonomous driving devices. Furthermore, due to the nature of the autonomous vehicle industry, three ministries—the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning—are working together to address the issue. The basic axis is largely for the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning to prepare IT intra-based services such as SW, telecommunications, high-performance computing, and cloud services; for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to develop components such as 10 key components, autonomous driving platforms, and control technologies; and for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to develop road infrastructure technologies such as C-ITS, autonomous cooperative driving road infrastructure, and evaluation and certification, as well as to establish laws and regulations.

The issue is that the roles and cooperation of various ministries regarding the autonomous vehicle industry overlap. It is pointed out that redundant investment is inevitable in terms of component and core technology development within R&D support, which constitutes a significant part of the government's role. In planning this year's R&D projects, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning decided to invest in autonomous driving software, communication security foundational technologies, wide-area driving perception technologies, and driver safety support. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is focusing its support on establishing infrastructure, including creating a convergence ecosystem, based on the localization of core components. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to concentrate on refining regulations, expanding support infrastructure, and developing technologies (such as establishing test cities and security) with the goal of commercialization.

Participants in the recent Future Growth Engine Open Talk relay discussion agreed that inter-ministerial collaboration holds greater significance than mere overlap. Lee Jae-kwan, Head of the Automotive Parts Research Institute, stated, “We must view this as a matter of collaboration rather than departmental overlap,” adding, “Cooperation is crucial because it can take more than 10 years from core technology R&D to commercialization.” Son Ju-chan, a manager at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), also remarked, “We must expand the smart car ecosystem through support for SMEs,” noting that “allowing for overlap to induce competition is suitable for the Korean context.” Moon Jong-deok, Smart Car PD at the Korea Institute for Industrial Technology Evaluation and Management (KIET), further emphasized, “The three ministries must work together to enable inter-ministerial cooperation.” He emphasized, "We must maintain this cooperative system to develop."

Industry Wary of Excessive Government Intervention in the Market

Dr. Lee Kyu-bok, CP for ICT Devices at the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, also stated, “(Regarding autonomous vehicles) overlap and duplication between departments are necessary for cooperation,” adding that “each ministry must faithfully fulfill its respective role.” On the other hand, an industry insider expressed concern over excessive government intervention in the market. This official said, “Government ministries trying to do too many things can actually hinder industrial development. What the government should do is clarify regulations and policies. Policies should guide the market to develop autonomously.” As a prime example, he lamented, “Where are the companies actually using the precision maps for autonomous vehicles that the government claims to be developing and distributing?”

As such, there is a clear difference in perception regarding autonomous vehicle policies between government agencies and the industry. While the aforementioned overlap in government ministries can be viewed positively in terms of expanded support and competition, there are also negative opinions that they cannot avoid criticism regarding resource waste and inefficiency.

However, the important thing is to clearly define the roles and goals that the government, the market, and academia should hold. The government must pursue relevant policies to eliminate regulations that hinder market development, the market must focus on developing technologies with clear customer needs, and academia must strive for basic research and talent development within a long-term research environment. This is necessary to ensure that the autonomous vehicle industry does not "reverse course" like many failed industries of the past.