"What Level Is My Car's Autonomous Driving?" National Standard Classification Established

6-Level Classification from Level 0 to 5

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 19th that it has completed the development of a draft standard defining the terminology and concepts of autonomous vehicles and the classification criteria for autonomous driving levels, and will promulgate the national standard (KS) on the 25th.

[Photo by National Institute of Technology and Standards, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

The established KS standard classifies autonomous driving into six levels from Level 0 to Level 5 based on international standards (ISO), according to the roles of vehicle users and automated driving systems. At Level 2, even if hands and feet are off the controls during lane changes, the eyes must remain on the driving environment. At Level 3, eyes can be diverted, but the driver must resume control when the system requests intervention. Level 4 allows the system to handle emergencies and other situations autonomously without driver involvement. Level 5 means the system is always responsible for driving under all road conditions and environments.

Until now, level classification has referenced the standards of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). According to the National Institute of Technology and Standards, this establishment provides clear autonomous driving level classification criteria for national and local government demonstration projects and the industry related to autonomous vehicles.

Lee Sang-hoon, Director of the National Institute of Technology and Standards, stated, “Through standardization activities, we will actively support South Korea’s autonomous vehicle industry to lead the global market.”