`One`s Own License Plate` for Automobiles from the Year 2003

Beginning from the year 2003 the district sign on license plates will disappear and a number once assigned will remain unchanged even in the case of a change of address.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation announced this `automobile administration revision plan` on the 21st and stated that it will take effect from January 1st next year.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation decided to prepare a new form of license plates without the district sign by next year, so that the owner of a vehicle can retain his registration number even if his address changes. Under current regulations, the owner must apply for a new registration number whenever in a new district.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation also decided to employ a `system of self-approval` in which the producer of the vehicle could go through the system of formal approval before the production and importation of automobiles. If an automobile that is sold under the self-approval system is found to fall short of the specified standard, a fine that ranges from a maximum of 0.2 per cent of the automobile`s sale value to 2,0000 million won will be imposed. Also a penalty of a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment or up to 30 million won will be imposed when a potentially fatal manufacture defect was either concealed or unfixed. In addition, a penalty of a maximum of 2 years of imprisonment or 5 million won will be levied when performance tests on used automobiles are falsified.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation is also planning to make mandatory rules concerning the current voluntary evaluation tests on new automobiles, so that all vehicles produced after the year 2003 would be subject to 5 categories of tests, including the frontal collision test.

Hwang Jae-Seong jsonhng@donga.com