Jung Joon-ho Expresses Privacy Concerns Over 'Smart Tolling'

Average of 15,000 Unpaid Cases per Month
"System Inspection and Systematic Improvement Needed"

Assemblyman Jeong Junho

Since the introduction of the ‘Smart Tolling’ pilot project, the number of long-term toll defaulters has been continuously increasing, raising concerns about the invasion of personal privacy for defaulters. The Smart Tolling pilot project, launched in May this year, is a system that automatically collects highway tolls by recognizing the license plates of vehicles without Hi-Pass installed.

According to the National Assembly audit data submitted by Jeong Jun-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gwangju Buk-gu Gap, from Korea Expressway Corporation on the 18th, more than 15,000 unpaid cases occurred on average each month from June to August after the introduction of the Smart Tolling system in May, and the number of long-term unpaid cases exceeding two months reached 3,269.

The serious issue is that the Smart Tolling system forcibly collects sensitive personal information such as vehicle numbers and toll passage videos. This information is stored for at least two months or more in the case of defaulters, and through this, personal addresses or movement routes can be identified, raising significant concerns about privacy invasion. If there is no unpaid toll, the information is deleted within 30 days, but for defaulters, the information is preserved for a long period, resulting in situations where individuals are stigmatized as offenders against their will.

Rep. Jeong stated, “The Smart Tolling system was introduced to facilitate smooth toll collection, but it has caused inconvenience to drivers and infringes on personal privacy,” and added, “We need to explore ways for drivers to pay tolls more quickly and accurately.”

He also emphasized, “Measures to protect personal information must be established to prevent cases where individuals are considered offenders,” and “Through thorough inspection and systematic improvement of the overall operation of the Smart Tolling system, the unpaid toll processing system should be operated more transparently and fairly.”