Several policy measures to transition the road transport sector are currently under consideration in South Korea. In December 2021, President Moon Jae-in's government announced the Korea Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Dissemination policy, which includes provisions such as subsidies for ZEVs, charging infrastructure for ZEVs, and a gradual increase in production targets for ZEVs over internal combusition engine (ICE) vehicles.
During his election campaign in early 2022, the current President Yoon Suk-yeol pledged to set a target to phase out ICE vehicles by 2035. In June 2022, President Yoon’s government announced a policy agenda which confirmed a 2035 target for “ZEV vehicle transition” but did not explicitly commit to a date for phasing out ICE vehicles. In addition, the agenda included plans to subsidise charging costs for ZEVs, and tighten GHG emissions standards for small vehicles. In July 2022, the Ministry of Environment announced a target for supplying 2 million ZEVs within President Yoon’s term.
In a 23 July Business Community Proposal for Establishing Carbon Neutrality and Sustainability Policies, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) supported expanding government measures to decarbonize South Korea’s heavy-duty vehicle sector. FKI proposed expanding subsidies and charging infrastructure to promote the replacement of aging construction equipment with electric alternatives, and called for government support for mobile hydrogen refueling stations to accelerate hydrogen mobility adoption. FKI also supported government incentives to reduce emissions in South Korea’s steel industry. However, it was unclear whether FKI supported a full transition of the steel sector in line with IPCC recommendations.
In the same proposal, FKI supported measures to limit the negative biodiversity impacts of large-scale solar installations and emphasized the need for government intervention to expand solar and wind energy in South Korea’s energy mix. FKI noted that the country’s fossil fuel–reliant grid results in a high national average emission factor, placing domestic companies at a disadvantage under global carbon regulations. The proposal called for a full-system transition—across generation, transmission, and consumption—through measures such as expanding solar and wind power, decommissioning old coal plants, refurbishing nuclear facilities, hydrogen co-firing, and deploying electric boilers, heat pumps, EV charging management, and on-site generation.
During the 20 June Policy Direction Forum for Energy Transition, the Korea Battery Industry Association (KBIA) emphasized the urgent need for immediate and effective government support to strengthen South Korea’s battery sector, including the introduction of a mandatory electric vehicle production policy. In the Forum, KBIA also stated that existing demand-driving policies, such as the emissions trading scheme, lacked sufficient regulatory intensity to be effective, and called for stronger support measures to improve South Korea’s energy storage system (ESS) industry.
In a December 14th Electric Power Journal article, Chairman of the Korea Electric Vehicles Association (KEVA), Kim Pil-su, appeared to support the electrification of transport, calling for the preparation of a roadmap strategy for the development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry and policies for the supply of EVs.
In a December 11th press release, the chairman of the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA), Kang Nam-hoon, supported the passage of the ‘Future Vehicles Special Act’ in the National Assembly, stating that it would be “practical help” for the future transition of the automobile parts industry and overall automobile industry in South Korea.
In an October 17th interview with Segye Ilbo, the Chairman of the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA), Kang Nam-hoon, called for government support for a transition to electric and eco-friendly vehicles, stating that this transition is a “major trend that cannot be reversed”.
As reported by DNews on July 17th, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) stated support for the enactment of “Future Vehicles Special Act”, which would help automotive parts-making corporates in the transition to electric vehicles.
In a May 17th article reported by Hankyung, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) called for the enactment of the ‘Future Vehicles Special Act’, stating that it is necessary to “provide comprehensive and systematic support” for the electrification of Korean automotive parts companies.
In an interview with Etoday on the 28th April, the Chairman of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), Kang Nam-hoon, supported government support to create an environment for enabling EV production of foreign automotive corporates, including GM Korea and Renault Korea. He also supported the enactment of ‘Future Vehicles Special Act’ for electrification transition in automotive parts corporates.
In a 6th April press release, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) supported enactment of Future Vehicles Special Act to establish EV support system including tax benefits for EV production facilities.
In a 10th April interview with E-daily, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) supported electrification of transport, calling for enacting Future Vehicles Special Act and tax credits for investment in EV production facilities.
In a 24th March interview with Yonhap News, the Chairman of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), Kang Nam-hoon, strongly supported the legislation of ‘Special Act on Future Vehicles’ which includes tax supports and expansion of electric and hydrogen vehicles production sites in South Korea. The Chairman also called for investments in transitioning ICE vehicle production sites to EV production sites.
In a 2nd March press release, the Chairman of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers (KAMA) supported expanding the supply of electric and hydrogen vehicles to achieve the 2030 NDC GHG emissions reduction target in the transportation sector of South Korea, calling for policy measures and investment support from the South Korean government.
In a 30th August op-ed article of E-Daily, the Chairman of Korea Automobiles Manufactuers Association (KAMA), Jung Man-ki, strongly advocated to abolish the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) policy of South Korea, stating that it is a dual regulation, and it would “encourage electric vehicles imports and consequently disrupt our electric vehicle industry base.”
On the 10th May, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) advocated to abolish either the GHG emissions regulations or obligatory EVs sales system of South Korea, citing a double regulatory burden, at a meeting with the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) in Brussels.
On April 5th, The Hankyoreh reported that Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) Chairman Jung Man-ki appeared to oppose the regulation of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle production, instead calling for more incentive-oriented government policies such as investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The table below lists the entities found to be most engaged with the policy. InfluenceMap tracks over 400 companies and 200 industry associations globally. Each entity name links to its full InfluenceMap profile, where the evidence of its engagement can be found.
| Influencemap Performance Band | Organization | Policy Position | Policy Engagement Intensity |
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