Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and partner agencies to conduct joint enforcement through July 10
A nationwide crackdown on illegally modified and abandoned vehicles will run for one month beginning Saturday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Thursday that it will launch the joint enforcement operation alongside the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Korean National Police Agency and other relevant agencies to reduce public concern over illegal vehicles that threaten road safety and to improve the overall driving environment. The crackdown runs from Saturday through July 10.
The ministry conducts such sweeps twice a year, in the first and second halves. This year's campaign will focus particularly on vehicles that violate safety standards, have undergone illegal modifications, have been abandoned without authorization, or are unregistered.
Inspectors will check for damaged or soiled reflective panels on the rear safety boards of trucks, illegally installed lighting devices, and the condition of truck tires and wheel fastenings.
For local governments with large numbers of long-abandoned vehicles, authorities plan to recommend expanding tow-vehicle storage facilities to speed up towing, storage and administrative processing. Local governments, relevant organizations and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority have agreed to cooperate actively to address problems caused by vehicles left for extended periods on quiet roads and in public parking lots, as well as vehicles deregistered for export and then abandoned.
The ministry said approximately 388,000 illegal vehicles were detected last year, a 10.31 percent increase from the previous year, adding to public inconvenience. It credited active public attention and participation with helping raise the overall standard of vehicle management across society. Bae So-myeong, head of the ministry's Vehicle Operation and Insurance Division, said the ministry would "continue working to secure vehicle safety at a level that people can actually feel," and urged the public to stay alert to illegal vehicles and report them proactively.
smh@heraldcorp.com
