A car drives through a school zone in Seoul, May 18. Newsis

By Lee Yeon-woo

The Ministry of Government Legislation has announced its plan to recommend easing some current traffic regulations for school zones.

Strict regulations were introduced in March 2020 after an elementary school student named Kim Min-sik, 9, was killed in September 2019 while crossing a street in a school zone in Asan South Chungcheong Province.

His death triggered an outburst of anger from citizens, which led to the introduction of new regulations, known as the "Min-sik Law," calling for harsher punishment of drivers responsible for traffic accidents in school zones.

Under the law, drivers who injure a child will be imprisoned for one to 15 years, or fined between 5 million won and 30 million won. Drivers who kill a child can be sentenced to life in prison. The law also imposed a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour in the school zones. The rule has been applied 24 hours a day.

But the stringent rules have caused objections.

According to data from the Korean National Police Agency obtained by Rep. Kim Nam-kuk of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the number of car accidents in school zones hasn't changed much since the law went into enforcement. In 2020, there were 483 accidents (three deaths and 507 injuries), and the figure rose to 523 accidents (two deaths and 563 injuries) in 2021. As of September 2022, the figure marks 399 (one death and 398 injuries).

In April, the presidential transition committee of Yoon Suk-yeol hinted at easing the regulation.

This time, the ministry will recommend relevant institutions to consider easing several regulations from midnight to 6 a.m. There were no car accidents reported in school zones during that time in 2021, the ministry said.

The ministry will urge the police to put up more signs reminding drivers and pedestrians that they are in school zones. The ministry viewed that it's important for drivers to be notified they are in school zones, since accidents happening there are subject to additional punishment.

The ministry will also require more consultations and discussions among relevant institutions ― such as schools, police and government agencies in charge of the roads ― regarding the operation and establishment of school zones.

Easing the speed limit to 40 kph per hour or 50 kph was not included among the recommendations this time.

However, Rep. Kang Hoon-sik from DPK, who had proposed the law, refuted that the current attempt to ease the regulation is against its purpose.

"I agree that there should be detailed adjustments for people's convenience, but people's awareness of the school zones should be increased first before that," he wrote on Facebook.

"It's also important to look back at the inconvenience in a rational, calm way … However the most important thing (to consider in this case) will be the purpose of the legislation ― protecting children's lives and safety."