Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties, members of Kapos — the Korea Automobile Professional Maintenance Business Cooperatives Federation — industry experts and officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport gathered to discuss how to regulate platform-based mobile car repair services, a sector widely seen as a blind spot in automotive safety oversight.
Rep. Bok Ki-wang of the Democratic Party of Korea, who represents Asan in South Chungcheong Province and serves as the Democratic Party's floor manager on the National Assembly's Land and Transport Committee, said Tuesday that the discussions took place at a policy forum held that morning at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. The forum was titled "Consumer-Safe Automobile Maintenance Systems Under the Automobile Management Act in Response to the Changing Times."
The forum was organized by the Korea Automobile Citizens' Alliance and the Citizens' Traffic Safety Association, with Kapos serving as a sponsor. People Power Party lawmakers Eom Tae-young and Kang Dae-sik, along with Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-geun, also attended in a show of bipartisan support. Regional chapter heads and members of Kapos were present to convey concerns from the field.
"The non-essential must not define the essential," Bok said. "Large platforms such as Coupang Inc and Baemin are squeezing small business owners by demanding excessive commissions — strangling their livelihoods. The auto repair industry is also having its business territory, built up over decades, encroached upon by major platforms. The ruling and opposition parties will work together to find ways to protect auto mechanics and bring them into harmony with the platform ecosystem, and we will enshrine those protections in law."
People Power Party Rep. Eom Tae-young said the automotive industry is undergoing sweeping change, including the rise of autonomous driving. "I will work to ensure that the voices from the field are reflected in policy so that auto mechanics are not put at a disadvantage," he said.
Rep. Kang Dae-sik said he was well aware of the challenges facing those in the industry and pledged to work with fellow Land and Transport Committee members from both parties to find solutions.
Democratic Party Rep. Kim Nam-geun said the platform economy "is evolving in a direction that reinforces monopoly, unfair practices and the suppression of small business owners." He said he would take the lead in researching policy reforms to help small auto repair businesses coexist with the platform economy.
Kapos federation chairman Kang Sun-geun urged regulatory reform, saying all certified repair shops have upheld automotive safety standards on the ground and maintain clear lines of accountability through the designation of responsible maintenance officers and mandatory reporting to the national network. "The call for regulatory reform is not about blocking competition from platform-based mobile repair services — it is solely about public safety, and all parties must operate under the same standards of responsibility," he said.
The forum's discussion and debate sessions were moderated by Lee Jong-nam, a professor in the automotive engineering department at Daeduk University, and were described as substantive and wide-ranging.
A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official who participated as a discussant said the ministry "deeply sympathizes with every proposal raised at Wednesday's forum — covering vehicle safety, operator accountability, repair platform issues, worker safety, the environment and fair competition." The official added that ensuring quality and stability in repair services is "a non-negotiable task, as it is directly linked to public safety," and said the ministry has been continuously discussing issues related to mobile repair services and will "closely communicate with Kapos going forward and faithfully review regulatory improvements."
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