Seoul City Conducts Mock Inspections in Preparation for 'Fine Dust Seasonal Management' from Year-End to Early Next Year

Preparation for 3rd Seasonal Management Operation Restrictions with Enhanced Standards: Biweekly Mock Inspections from August to November
August Mock Inspection Results Show 23,042 Daily 5th Grade Vehicle Operations in Seoul, 1,458 Violations

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 2nd that it is conducting a ‘5th-grade vehicle operation restriction mock crackdown’ as the target of the 3rd fine dust seasonal management system operation restriction, which will be implemented from December this year, is expanded to 5th-grade vehicles that have not undergone low-emission measures. The purpose is to continuously inform the public about the system ahead of the seasonal management system implementation.

The mock crackdown will be conducted every two weeks from August to November, and no fines will be imposed during the crackdown period. Through this mock crackdown, Seoul City plans to monitor the traffic status of 5th-grade vehicles entering and exiting Seoul and promote low-emission measure projects and the seasonal management system operation restrictions to the crackdown targets.

As a result of the mock crackdown conducted in the Seoul area for two weeks in August, an average of 23,042 5th-grade vehicles operated daily, and excluding vehicles equipped with reduction devices and exempted from crackdown, the actual crackdown target was an average of 1,458 vehicles per day.

Seoul City plans to cancel fines for vehicles that complete low-emission measures by November 30 this year among the vehicles restricted under the seasonal management system operation restriction and refund the amounts already paid. In addition, as the support project for low-emission measures for 5th-grade vehicles ends this year, Seoul City encourages vehicle owners to complete low-emission measures promptly through promotional activities.

Meanwhile, from December last year to the end of March this year, 28,911 emission 5th-grade vehicles were caught under the seasonal management system operation restriction, and Seoul City imposed fines (100,000 KRW) on 112,222 cases. Among the cracked-down vehicles, fines for 64,825 cases (58%) that had already completed low-emission measures were canceled, and among the 4,297 cases paid, refunds have been completed for 3,282 cases, with the remaining 1,015 cases scheduled for refund.

Lee Sa-hyung, Head of the Vehicle Pollution Reduction Division, said, “This 5th-grade vehicle operation restriction mock crackdown is intended to have people check once again whether their vehicle is subject to crackdown ahead of the seasonal management system implementation,” and added, “Seoul City is promoting various low-emission projects such as support for installing diesel particulate filters and early scrapping support, so we hope people actively utilize these to avoid disadvantages during the seasonal management system period.”