'Autonomous Robots' to Operate in Hangang Park... Seoul to Further Ease Regulations

Four Regulatory Reforms Announced: Ordinance Revisions and Administrative Improvements
The Dawn of the "Robot Era" in Hangang Park... Operation Zones to Be Adjusted
Online Applications for Special Housing Supply for People with Disabilities
Improvements to the Automatic Payment Process for Water Bills

From as early as the first half of next year, autonomous robots will be seen in Seoul's Hangang Park. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to revise related ordinances to establish a system for efficient park management using autonomous robots. The city expects this move to have a positive impact on the development of the robotics and smart mobility industries.

On December 28, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will amend the "Basic Ordinance on the Conservation and Use of Hangang Park in Seoul" in the first half of next year to allow patrolling, cleaning, and guidance services using autonomous robots in Hangang Park. The city will introduce a new provision permitting the operation of autonomous robots within the park.

From as early as the first half of next year, autonomous robots will be seen in Seoul's Hangang Park. The city plans to revise related ordinances to establish a system for efficient park management using autonomous robots. Photo by Yonhap News Agency.

This measure follows the city’s ongoing efforts to eliminate regulations. In December last year, the city declared 2025 as the inaugural year for removing regulations aimed at economic stability and restoring daily life for citizens. Since then, it has identified and improved a total of 161 regulations across all sectors, including daily life, construction, economy, and tourism.

By the first half of next year, the city plans to improve a total of four regulations: ▲ Allowing autonomous robot operation in Hangang Park (No. 158), ▲ Improving the application process for special housing supply recommendations for people with disabilities (No. 159), ▲ Enhancing human rights education for workers at facilities for people with disabilities (No. 160), and ▲ Improving the process for automatic payment of water bills by credit card (No. 161).

First, the city will revise the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Urban Parks and Green Spaces. While outdoor mobile robots are currently permitted in parks, Hangang Park is managed by a separate ordinance to preserve the ecological environment and ensure citizen safety, which requires an ordinance revision to allow autonomous robots. The amendment will include safety standards such as designated operating areas and hours, operating speed, and robot weight to prevent collisions between autonomous robots, pedestrians, and cyclists, and to ensure public safety. However, the city stated that commercial robot operations will be reviewed as a long-term task, considering citizen safety and park order.

The city is also working to remove barriers for people with disabilities. The application process for special housing supply recommendations, which previously required in-person visits by the applicant or a proxy to the local community center, will be improved by developing an online application system (Regulation Removal No. 159). The city plans to develop and test the online system next year, making it more convenient for people with disabilities to apply without having to visit in person.

Additionally, to protect the human rights of people with disabilities residing in day-use and short-term residential facilities, the city will improve the required staff training so that it can also be completed remotely (Regulation Removal No. 160). While in-person training will remain the principle, the city will specify the scope and procedures for recognizing remote training in unavoidable cases, such as for night shift workers.

Furthermore, the city will improve the process for applying for or canceling automatic payment of water bills by credit card, which was previously only possible through ARS (Automated Response System), by allowing direct applications at eight waterworks offices in the first half of next year (Regulation Removal No. 161). This is expected to significantly improve payment convenience for seniors and other digitally vulnerable groups who have had difficulty applying for or canceling automatic payment of water bills.

Lee Changhyun, Director of Regulatory Innovation Planning at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "These four regulatory improvements are focused on resolving small but significant inconveniences that citizens experience in their daily lives," adding, "We will continue to actively identify and improve unreasonable regulations that do not keep pace with technological changes or citizens' expectations."