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Two people from Hyundai Motor Group will be hired one after another for major government positions in charge of regulation and promotion of autonomous vehicles. Concerns arise that consumer rights may be violated due to the strong influence of certain companies’ breathing on government policies. As a result of the interview on the 2nd, Choi Jin-woo, head of the Hyundai Motor Group’s Small PM Center (Executive Vice President), will be the head of the autonomous driving technology development and innovation division of all ministries. An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, “The recruitment process was completed and the appointment letter was delivered on the 1st.” The project team, with a scale of KRW 1 trillion, jointly promoted by the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the National Police Agency will establish an ecosystem for the commercialization of level 4 autonomous driving from this year to 2027. The general manager’s term of office is three years, and depending on the evaluation, it is possible to serve consecutively in units of two years. The department head of the Hyundai Motor Group (department manager and deputy general manager) was appointed as the head of the future automobile industry department newly established by the Ministry of Industry. When the HR innovation process is completed, the final hiring is made. The Future Vehicle Division of the Ministry of Industry, established in November of last year, is an organization dedicated to separating the autonomous vehicle field from the tasks previously undertaken by the Automotive Aviation Division. The manager of Mirae Motors has promoted recruitment among those with private experience in an open position. In industry, it is pointed out that regulations related to autonomous vehicles may be biased against the interests of Hyundai Motor Group. Both positions are responsible for both industrial development and regulation. The autonomous driving business unit is in charge of developing new technologies, as well as safety evaluation technology and standardization, and improvement of related laws and systems. The same is true for the future cars of the Ministry of Industry. Although the existing Ministry of Industry does not have a regulatory function, there are many prospects that the Future Automotive Division will actively express opinions in response to regulations as it is an organization created as a matchmaker with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. An official from the Ministry of Industry said, “If there is a demonstration service, the relevant regulatory response will be made by the Future Vehicles”. An industry official said, “It would have been difficult to find alternatives (other than the Hyundai Motor Group) in hiring private experts.” In the case of self-driving vehicle regulation, the influence of Hyundai Motor Group as there is much room for conflict between the interests of manufacturers and consumers. “I am concerned that if this increases, the rights of consumers will be violated.” By Lee Jae-yeon and Jo Gye-wan, staff reporter [email protected]