1. Objectives
- To ensure the safety of a vehicle and protecting the lives and property of the Citizens from traffic accidents by
checking whether a vehicle is roadworthy.
- To prevent damage and to establish driving rules by identifying uninsured and illegally modified vehicles
- To prevention criminals and authenticate ownership by checking the vehicle's identity
- To prevent environmental pollution caused by emissions and noise
2. Vehicle Inspection Types
New Inspection
- The inspection required for the initial registration of a vehicle
Periodic Inspection
- The regular inspection that is required after initial registration
Structural Modification Inspection
- The inspection required when modifying the structure or equipment in a vehicle
Temporary Inspection
- Irregular inspection implemented under the Vehicle Maintenance Act or as ordered by the Vehicle Maintenance
Act or upon request by the owner of the vehicle
3. Inspection Standards and Items
Inspection Standards
A vehicle is inspected
- to see whether its structure and equipments comply with the inspection standards and rules on vehicle safety
standards described in asterisk 15, the Enforcement Rules of the Act of Vehicle Maintenance.
- to see whether its emission gases (CO, HC, λ, exhaust gas) comply with the allowance standards designated in
the Environmental Preservation Act
- to see whether its horn sound and noise comply with the allowance standards designated in the regulations on
noise and vibration to see whether its structure or equipment have been changed at discretion
Inspection Items
A) Device Check (7 items)
- Steering wheel skid amount
- Braking power
- Speed meter error
- Brightness and optical axis of head lights
- Thickness of emission gases (CO, HC, λ)
- Horn sound and noise
- Leakage of LPG
B) Major Items checked with the unaided eye (14 items)
- Identity
* Discord between frame number and motor type (including forgery, change or damage of letter shape)
* Difference, damage or loss of flat number or damaged sealing
* Exceeding the allowable error of structure and equipment according to Article 8 of the Order or non-compliant
with the safety standards
- Driving Equipments
* Flexures or cracks on the axle or wheels
* Excessive tire damage or abrasion over allowable standards
* Projection of wheels and tires
- Steering equipment that is found to exceed allowable standards, to be changed, welded. loosened or leaking from
the results of inspection with side slip measuring devices.
- Brake equipment that is found to exceed allowable standards or to be damaged on the braking system or leaking
from the results of inspection with braking testers
- Fuel equipment that has no sealing on the speed regulator or has a fuel (including LPG) leak,
- Electric and electronic equipment that has a possibility of engine interruption or fire
- Frame and car body
* Serious corrosion, serious change or breakage on the frame and car body
* Damage or impair on the rear safety plate and side protector Change or damage on the connection device with
a towing car
- Loading equipment that has evidence of corrosion or change in case of hazardous chemical products, industrial
wastes and wastes truck
- Use of unqualified window glass or glass with serious cracks
- Exceeding the allowable standards defined in Article 37. 2 of the Act of Air Environment Preservation and Article
37. 2 of the Act of Noise and Vibration Regulation
- Lighting System
* Malfunctioning of head lights, winkers, number lights or brake lights, or non-compliant with the standards for light
color or installation, malfunctioning of automatic lighting such as taxi signal lights.
* The head lights that do not meet the standards from the results of inspection with head light testers
* Illegal installation of lights against safety standards
- Meter equipment that does not have a meter recorder or speed regulator (including poorly installed cases) or that
exceeds the allowable standards from the results of the inspection with speed meter testers.
- Modified structure or equipments arbitrarily without approval as defined in Chapter 34 of the Act of Vehicle
Maintenance
4. Implement of Vehicle Inspection
Term of Validity
| Classification | Term of Validity | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-commercial passenger vehicle or trailer | 2 years(4 years for brand-new vehicles that receive initial inspection) | |
| Commercial passenger vehicle | 1 year(2 years for brand-new vehicles that receive initial inspection according to Item 5, Article 43 of the Act) | |
| Light/small-type van, truck | 1 year | |
| Commercial Large-scale Truck | 2 years or younger | 1 year |
| Over 2 years | 6 months | |
| Others | 5 years or younger | 1 year |
| Over 5 years | 6 months | |
Service Charge
| Type | Service Charge | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light type | Small type | Middle type | Large type | |
| Periodic Inspection | 15,000 | 20,000 | 23,000 | 25,000 |
| Temporary Inspection | ||||
| Initial Inspection | 29,000 | 31,000 | 33,000 | |
| Structural Modification Inspection | 29,000 | 33,000 | 37,000 | |
Note) All passenger vehicles belong to small-type vehicles
Penalty
- 20,000won when exceeding the inspection period of 30 days, add 10,000 won every 3 days, Available to charge
up to 300,000won.
* Period of Inspection : 30 days before or after the expiration date
- Inspection Process and Description
5. Approval for Structural Modifications
- This system is to prevent traffic accidents and environmental pollution caused by vehicles in which the structure or
equipment has been modified by checking in advance whether an applicable vehicle could comply with the safety
standards if its structure or equipments are modified.
- Approval and Inspection Procedure
A vehicle owner who receives approval for structural modifications needs to have the car repair center complete
the modification and receive inspection from KOTSA vehicle inspection center within 45 days from the approval
date.
Work Flowchart of Approval and Inspection of Structural Modification
1. Application for modification 2. Approval and Issue of Approval Letter 3. Request modification
4. Issue of modification completion certificate
5. Application for inspection (within 45 days from the approval date)
6. Issue of registration card after recording on structural modification
7. Report results of structural modification (computer input)
Approval Subject
| Classification | Contents |
|---|---|
| Structure | Length, width, height, Total weight |
| Equipment |
- Motor, power train - Driving system (axle only) - Steering/braking system - Fuel system - Connection and towing system - Frame, Car body - Riding and loading system - NVH system - Exhaust - Lighting system (head light, number light, rear tail light, brake light, side light, backward light, other light) - Internal pressure vessel and its accessory - Other equipments designated by the order of the ministry of construction and transportation |
|
Restriction (Any change is not allowed) |
- In cases when the vehicle type changes due to the modification - In cases when modification increases the total weight (except those that are recovered to the original passenger capacity or maximum loadage from the reduced one) - In cases when the passenger capacity or maximum loadage increases (except the same type) or performance or safety may decrease |
Service charge
- Equipment: 25,000 won
- Structural Equipment: 40,000 won
6. Types of illegal structural modifications
|
Wide tires and negative wheels - Lowered fuel efficiency because of the increased driving resistance - Higher possibility of the vehicle rolling over because of the raised height - A pedestrian might be caught by the wide tires - Wheel bolts may break as the mechanical load on wheel nuts increases - Longer braking distance as the vehicle becomes heavier |
 |
|---|---|
|
Modification of metal bumper guard and body bottom Damages the counterpart vehicle or pedestrians more seriously in a car accident Higher possibility of rollover because of the raised height Longer braking distance as the vehicle becomes heavier Shortened vehicle life because of the increased mechanical load on the body bottom |
 |
|
Sharp metal spoiler Possible to damage pedestrians with the projected sharp metal spoiler FRP spoilers installed within the allowable range are allowed. |
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Subsidiary frames on the cargo compartment (Illegal modification) - Longer braking distance and road damage due to overloading - Shortened vehicle life and excessive emissions - Violate safety standards: Since the rear safety plate is removed, it is more likely that the passengers in a real collision vehicle are damaged more seriously |
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High-brightness LED lamps High-brightness LED lamp using sapphire lights installed in the rear could interrupt the view of the driver to the rear |
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Colored (coated) rear lights or illegal lights Lowered visibility and misunderstood signal could cause a traffic accident Stop lights : Red Number lights : White Winker : Yellow |
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Colored head lights and winkers - Shortened visible distance and unable identification of obstacles resulted from the blockage of head light's brightness may prompt a serious accident. - Confused visibility due to changed winker colors |
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Clear Lamps - Confused visibility due to diffusion of light colors when lights are on simultaneously - Shortened available area of lighting * Except the vehicles that receive part certificates from the safety test agency |
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Search Lights Illegal lights that are undefined in safety standards and used for other purposes or interrupt vision |
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Neon Light Frame - Installed around the number plate decorating with neon lights. It may be misused for running away - The number plate with neon lights is hard to identify when the vehicle violates traffic regulations |
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Modification of Air Cleaner Inhaler Opening (Illegal revision) - If the air cleaner inhaler opening is installed on the bumper bottom, water or other foreign particles could inflow to the engine to deteriorate its performance - Since water is non-compression liquid, it damages cylinders and pistols. - The projected tires may be dangerous to pedestrians or worsen fuel efficiency |
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Engine Hood Up - If the motor hood (bonnet) is installed while it is raised up, it may directly harm the driver when a collision takes place because the engine hood is not bent. * Indication : Conduct temporary inspection after ordering recovery to the original shape or to receive after have it repaired |
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