Strengthening Performance Inspection, Management, and Supervision of Privately Commissioned Surveying Equipment

Improved Survey Accuracy and Safety... Revised Regulations Effective from the 8th

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo Gang-wook] Supervision of the ‘Surveying Equipment Performance Inspection Agency Work’ entrusted to the private sector will be strengthened going forward.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 5th that it will amend the ‘Act on the Construction and Management of Spatial Information,’ which mainly strengthens the management and supervision of private consignment tasks such as periodic guidance and inspection of ‘surveying equipment performance inspection’ entrusted to the private sector, as well as corrective orders and fines based on supervision results, and will implement it from the 8th.

Until now, under the ‘Act on the Construction and Management of Spatial Information,’ those registered for surveying business must periodically undergo performance inspections of registered surveying equipment within a five-year range. The performance inspection of surveying equipment has been conducted by specialized companies registered as surveying equipment performance inspection agents (27 companies nationwide as of February this year) equipped with professional technology and equipment, acting on behalf of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

In addition, the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation, which performs cadastral surveying, has been conducting performance inspections independently with appropriate facilities and equipment for performance inspection.

However, as a result of an on-site survey of private consignment tasks hosted by the Prime Minister’s Office, the need for institutional improvement was raised regarding areas without national management and supervision authority, leading to the amendment of the law last year and the establishment of subordinate regulations this time.

According to the revised ‘Spatial Information Management Act,’ the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport may inspect the performance inspection status of surveying equipment performance inspection agents by provincial governors and order corrections if necessary. The Director of the National Geographic Information Institute conducts on-site inspections and corrective orders for the performance inspections of surveying equipment by the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation. Education and training for performance inspection agents and their employees are mandatory, and a fine of up to 1 million won will be imposed if training is not received.

Nam Young-woo, Director of the Land Information Policy Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “The surveying equipment performance inspection work is an essential process to produce accurate surveying results,” adding, “Through this institutional improvement, we will thoroughly manage and supervise so that the private consignment of surveying equipment performance inspections can operate as originally intended, improving administrative efficiency and service quality.”