Mid-sized Business Ombudsman Leads Efforts to Improve Regulations on Future Industries Such as Drones

S.O.S Talk Held in Incheon and Gyeonggi West

The Small and Medium Business Ombudsman is taking steps to improve unreasonable regulations for companies in innovative growth sectors such as drones and smart displays.

The Ombudsman announced on the 30th that it held a field meeting for small and medium enterprises called 'S.O.S Talk' at Robot Land in Seo-gu, Incheon, together with the Incheon Regional Headquarters and the Incheon-Gyeonggi Western Branch of the Small and Medium Business Corporation.

Before the meeting, Kim Hee-soon, head of the Ombudsman support team, visited Wow Mirae Technology, a drone manufacturer, to hear industry suggestions. Kim Moon-joo, CEO of Wow Mirae Technology, expressed the opinion that the radio approval and restrictions on long-distance drone equipment need to be eased.

In response, the Ombudsman said it would continue to consult with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the relevant authority. Currently, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport holds the position that acceptance is difficult due to the possibility of radio interference.

There was also a request to simplify the approval process for drone test flights. The Ombudsman explained that this issue has already been improved through consultations with related ministries, and that discussions are ongoing regarding the most common types of drone regulation requests, such as extending flight approval periods and simplifying procedures.

The Ombudsman has recently been working to improve systems related to the drone sector. Last year, it achieved a reduction in the drone safety certification process from over two months to two weeks. In 2022, it extended the aerial photography permit period for private drone operators and contributed to establishing a legal basis for using drones in transportation services.

At the subsequent meeting, small and medium enterprises collectively voiced the need to relax the self-measurement cycle for air pollution prevention facilities in small-scale workplaces. In addition, there were suggestions for establishing a real-time alarm system for pass/fail results by test and inspection items such as KC and KS certification, and for easing procurement bidding requirements for video information display devices. Kim Yang-ho, head of the Incheon Regional Headquarters of the Small and Medium Business Corporation, said, "We will cooperate with the Ombudsman to ensure that field difficulties are definitely reflected in policies."

Kim Hee-soon, head of the support team, said, "The innovative growth sector has great growth potential to contribute to the leap of the Korean economy, but it is also an area blocked by many regulations. We will do our best to discuss the industry's voices with the responsible ministries and agencies to ensure improvements."