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KCCI suggests lifting old rules for new inventions

Published: 15 Jul. 2025, 18:43

As a heat wave warning remains in effect across Korea on July 6, dogs play in the water at Hamdeok Beach in Jeju. [NEWS1]

Why should dogs only be identified through chips and tags, and not AI? Why do research labs need four walls and a door?

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) urged the government on Monday to lift 54 outdated regulations that it says are obstructing innovation in fields like AI, semiconductor manufacturing and renewable energy.

One example cited involves AI-driven pet identification. New technologies can now distinguish individual dogs by analyzing facial features through a smartphone camera. The system could automatically register the dog with the national animal protection database and help prevent abandonment or loss.

But the current pet registration system recognizes only physical identifiers like embedded chips or external tags, making it impossible to implement AI-based alternatives.

“This is a clear example of how AI struggles to find a place in the pet industry due to outdated regulatory frameworks,” the KCCI said.

Another hurdle exists inside corporate R&D facilities. As companies in strategic industries increasingly restructure workspaces to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, physical walls and doors are being eliminated.

But under the Framework Act on Science and Technology, only spaces with permanent walls and separate entry points qualify as corporate-affiliated research labs. This restriction prevents companies from claiming tax credits for R&D personnel unless they construct enclosed spaces with four concrete walls and a door.

“Companies are actively tearing down partitions in their labs to innovate,” said Lee Sang-heon, head of regulatory reform at the KCCI. “But current regulations don’t reflect that reality. We need to update them accordingly.”

In the semiconductor sector, the KCCI raised concerns about safety codes that mandate firefighter entry windows every 40 meters (131 feet) in all buildings, including chip factories.

Samsung Electronics' semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi [SAMSUNG]

The rule, part of building and fire prevention codes, fails to account for the unique design of semiconductor plants, which often include gas rooms for hazardous materials and clean rooms that must stay sealed from outside contaminants.

“The industry believes entry points should be placed according to a facility’s function, not according to a uniform physical distance,” the KCCI said.

Regulations related to renewable energy, a priority area for the Lee Jae Myung administration, also came under scrutiny.

The KCCI highlighted agrivoltaics — solar power systems installed over farmland that generate electricity and protect crops from intense sunlight — as a promising solution. But the Land Act limits nonagricultural use of farmland to a maximum of eight years, which makes it difficult for such projects to become financially viable.

A view of a solar power plant installed on farmland in Seogwipo, Jeju [JEJU]

“In light of the importance of energy transition and income diversification in rural areas, the regulation should be reconsidered,” the KCCI said.

The chamber’s recommendations also include easing fire zone regulations in semiconductor plants, revising laws to promote the small modular reactor industry and lifting restrictions on prefabricated dome tents used in glamping.

The proposals are part of the KCCI’s broader push to eliminate legacy regulations that no longer align with Korea’s current industrial and technological environment.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI SUN-EUL [[email protected]]