Jeju Designated as Regulation-free Zone Regarding EV Charging Services

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Nov. 12 that it designated Jeju City as a regulation-free zone for more convenient electric vehicle (EV) charging services.

Specifically, five private companies will set up an EV charger sharing network so that approximately 10,000 chargers in Jeju Province, which are used for two days a week on average, can become more profitable. The network is based on EV charging service providers’ access to chargers privately owned by individuals, restaurants, and so on and this type of sharing is already common in countries such as the United States. On the other hand, in South Korea, such privately owned EV chargers can be used for business purposes only after business registration.

In addition, mobile EV charging services will be tested in the region so that EVs can be charged in areas where it is difficult to install a charger or a temporary charging service is needed. At the same time, the ministry is going to launch a project for doubling the capacity of previously installed chargers to 100 kw by means of energy storage systems. This is expected to be more economical than new charger installation for an increase in capacity.