The Small and Medium Enterprises Ombudsman noted on the 25th that it has enhanced the effectiveness of regulatory improvement recommendations.
Choi Seung-jae, the Small and Medium Enterprises Ombudsman, held the '2025 Second Ombudsman Committee' on this day and discussed the results of regulatory improvement recommendations and follow-up actions, which are the Ombudsman's unique authority.
Regulatory improvement recommendations are the Ombudsman's unique authority to advise relevant agencies on regulations that require improvements according to Article 22 of the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises. Agencies that receive regulatory improvement recommendations must submit their acceptance and implementation status after the recommendations.
On Feb. 5, two regulatory improvement recommendations were made, which marked the first case of recommendations since Choi Seung-jae took office, including ▲the exemption from the recapture of subsidies for electric vehicles for research and development of autonomous driving by the Ministry of Environment and ▲the deletion of remaining joint guarantee provisions in 106 local government ordinances from 75 local governments.
Following the improvement recommendations, the Ombudsman has continued discussions through further recommendations. As a result, 74 of the local governments, excluding the Ministry of Environment and one local government, expressed their intention to accept the Ombudsman's improvement recommendations.
The regulatory improvement recommendation regarding the Ministry of Environment primarily suggests that electric vehicles for research purposes be excluded from the subsidy recapture targets. If an electric vehicle that received subsidies is deregistered within 24 months, the subsidies are recaptured, but vehicles for autonomous driving research purposes are deregistered when they receive temporary permits according to the Automobile Management Act, making them targets for subsidies recapture.
The Ombudsman recommended to the Ministry of Environment in February that even if deregistration occurs, the vehicles would continue to operate in designated permitted areas, which does not contradict the purpose of the electric vehicle supply project of 'reducing pollutant emissions.' The Ministry of Environment revised the 'Electric Vehicle Supply Project Subsidy Processing Guidelines' to exclude vehicles for autonomous driving research from the subsidy recapture targets. Consequently, the Ombudsman expects that the utilization of electric vehicles for research purposes will be further activated.
In the case of joint guarantee provisions, although the central government, policy financing institutions, and commercial banks have already abolished the joint guarantee system, they remain in 106 local government ordinances at the local governments. The Ombudsman recommended all 75 relevant local governments to delete these provisions. As a result of ongoing consultations with each local government, 74 local governments agreed to delete them. However, Uljin County in North Gyeongsang Province responded that it would be difficult to accept.
The Ombudsman plans to encourage local governments that promised to accept the improvements to ensure that the final completion is achieved through periodic implementation inspections.
Choi Seung-jae, the Ombudsman, stated, 'I thank each agency that actively accepted the regulatory improvement recommendations this year,' and added, 'I will actively utilize the Ombudsman's regulatory improvement recommendation system to ensure that regulations with high improvement validity are improved.'