Police Chief Requests Participation in 'Safe Speed 5030' for the Lives of My Family and Neighbors

Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, is making a pledge declaration at the 'Safe Speed 5030' practice proclamation ceremony held on the 13th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Kwan-joo] Regarding the full implementation of the 'Safe Speed 5030' policy nationwide on the 17th, Police Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong urged active participation for life and safety.

At a press briefing on the 19th, Commissioner Kim stated, "If people willingly accept a slight increase in travel time to secure the precious lives and safety of their families and neighbors, the Safe Speed 5030 policy will be established early and traffic safety will greatly improve."

Safe Speed 5030 is a policy that lowers vehicle speed limits in urban areas with frequent pedestrian traffic: 50 km/h on general roads (60 km/h can be applied if necessary for traffic flow) and 30 km/h or less on residential and side streets.

Regarding the reason for introducing Safe Speed 5030, Commissioner Kim said, "It is a shift from vehicle-centered, traffic-flow-priority policies to people-centered, safety-focused ones. I hope this approach considers what is truly valuable and important, and where priorities should be placed."

Recalling the full implementation of Safe Speed 5030 in Busan during his tenure as Busan Police Commissioner in 2019, he emphasized, "In Busan and other countries that first implemented the system, it has been empirically confirmed over several years that pedestrian fatalities decrease by at least 20% to 40%."

He added, "Although this system causes inconvenience and burden to drivers and transportation workers, it was introduced because securing precious lives and physical safety is more important. We will continue to collect feedback on inconveniences and make improvements."

Commissioner Kim also expressed his intention to continue improving traffic laws for safety, such as prioritizing stopping at crosswalks and temporary stops for right-turning vehicles at intersections. He explained, "A revision to the Road Traffic Act requiring vehicles to stop first at crosswalks without traffic lights in school zones has been submitted to the National Assembly. Temporarily stopping to check when turning right will also be a revolutionary improvement for safety."