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Korean, British researchers launch effort to draft rules for autonomous driving

Published: 16 Apr. 2026, 18:09 Updated: 16 Apr. 2026, 18:17

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

A late-night driverless express bus on a test run between Gupabal and Yangjae stations in Seoul [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Researchers from Korea and Britain have launched a joint effort to draft rules for autonomous driving as vehicles move closer to operating without human drivers, the National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK) said Thursday.

The initiative follows a joint forum with the Royal Academy of Engineering at Prince Philip House in London earlier this week, where policymakers, industry leaders and researchers agreed that the shift to fully driverless, or “no user in charge” (NUiC), systems is forcing a rethink of regulation, liability and industrial structure.

At the center of the discussions was the core question of who is responsible when there is no driver.

Britain has already moved ahead on that front by enacting the Automated Vehicles Act in 2024, which established a legal framework for NUiC systems and defines liability for operators.

Korea, by contrast, faces more limited testing environments and structural constraints in its automotive sector, raising concerns about losing early market share, participants said.

Korean experts proposed introducing a legal category of driving service providers — entities that would oversee vehicle operations and services in a driverless ecosystem — shifting the industry from manufacturing toward data-driven, platform-based mobility services.

Participants at a joint Korea-Britain forum on driverless vehicles pose for a group photo at Prince Philip House, the home of the Royal Academy of Engineering, in London on April 13. [NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING OF KOREA]

That transition would also require a new liability model, distributing responsibility among automakers, software developers and service operators rather than individual drivers.

Participants also discussed the role of remote operation centers, the use of accident data to assign responsibility and the scope of human intervention in autonomous systems.

Organizers described the forum as a starting point for deeper bilateral cooperation, with delegations holding additional closed-door meetings and site visits with British institutions and companies to examine real-world applications.

Both sides agreed to expand cooperation across policy, insurance and technology and are considering a follow-up event in Seoul in September, led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

NAEK President Yoon Eui-joon described autonomous driving as a “game changer” that will reshape not only transportation but also national systems and industrial structures.

“While Britain is leading regulatory innovation with its NUiC framework, Korea is pushing ahead with industrialization based on its strengths in AI, information and communication technology and manufacturing,” he said. “By combining these strengths, we hope to develop a model that can lead the global autonomous driving era.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]