[2021 National Audit] Sharp Increase in Enforcement Camera Installations After 'Minsik Law' Implementation... Only Half Are Operational

4001 New Installations Since March Last Year
Operating Rate Only 54%
Assemblyman Lee Hyeong-seok "Installation and Management Regulations Must Be Simplified"

Lee Hyung-seok, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Since the implementation of the so-called 'Min-sik Law,' the number of newly installed speed cameras in school zones has significantly increased, but it has been confirmed that half of them are useless.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency to Lee Hyung-seok, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, as of July this year, 4,001 new speed cameras have been installed nationwide in school zones since the Min-sik Law was enacted in March last year.

However, only 2,165 of these cameras are actually operated by the police, resulting in an operation rate of 54%. Although the installation of enforcement equipment has increased, half of them are essentially ineffective.

Speed cameras in school zones are installed after local governments and the National Police Agency individually establish budgets and carry out installation work, followed by acceptance inspections conducted by the Korea Road Traffic Authority. Afterward, the local governments transfer the inspected cameras to the National Police Agency for final operation.

Lee pointed out that due to this procedure, the police cannot identify or properly manage cameras that have not been transferred by local governments. He emphasized the need to unify the installation tasks, which are currently inefficiently managed separately by local governments and the National Police Agency, under local governments, while the operation should be handled by city and provincial police agencies to ensure efficient installation and management of speed cameras.

Lee stated, "Starting this year, the city and provincial autonomous police committees of each local government have been tasked with managing and supervising the installation and management of unmanned traffic enforcement equipment, with city and provincial police agencies responsible for operation. Each city and provincial police agency should promptly prepare measures to simplify the regulations for installing and managing traffic enforcement equipment in consultation with related organizations to ensure the complete safety of children in school zones."