Lawmaker Bok to examine safety blind spots in platform-based mobile car repair

Lawmakers and experts are set to convene to examine safety blind spots in the platform-based mobile vehicle repair industry.

Rep. Bok Gi-wang of the Democratic Party of Korea, who represents Asan A in South Chungcheong Province and serves as floor manager of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, announced Sunday that he will host a policy forum titled "A Consumer-Safe Vehicle Maintenance System Under the Automobile Management Act in Step with the Times" on Tuesday morning at the second small conference room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building.

The forum is organized by the Korea Automobile Citizens' Alliance and the Citizens' Traffic Safety Association, with support from the Kapos Federation, the Korea Automobile Specialty Maintenance Business Cooperative Federation.

According to Bok and industry sources, concerns are growing that the spread of platform-based mobile vehicle repair is widening safety blind spots in an industry responsible for public safety, and that solutions are urgently needed.

Experts from various fields attending the forum will compare conventional specialized repair shops with mobile repair services and conduct a focused review of regulatory gaps in the maintenance system.

"The number of registered vehicles in South Korea has surpassed about 26.6 million, and four in 10 are more than 10 years old, making maintenance increasingly important," Bok said. "In line with the new environment created by the growing prevalence of mobile repair services, we must thoroughly examine regulatory blind spots and ensure the safety of the public."

The forum will be moderated by Lee Jong-nam, a professor in the automotive engineering department at Daeduk University. Presentations will be delivered by Im Gi-sang, head of the Korea Automobile Citizens' Alliance, on the direction of amendments to the Automobile Management Act and regulatory challenges arising from the spread of mobile repair services, and by Kwon Yong-ju, a professor in the automotive transport design department at Kookmin University, on diagnosing consumer safety issues from the perspectives of the platform industry, consumer choice and information asymmetry.