South Korea has adopted a set of safety standards for limited self-driving vehicles, enabling automakers to sell a vehicle with basic Level 3 self-driving technology in the local market from as early as July.
 
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Sunday that the government has adopted a set of safety standards required for Level 3 autonomous vehicles, adding the country is the first to adopt the standards.
 
Level 3 autonomy frees up the driver so that they can engage in other activities, but drivers need to be available to take full control of the vehicle in case of an emergency.
 
Under the standards, the Level 3 autonomous car should be equipped with functions that keep the vehicle inside the lane, drive at a safe distance on highways and demand the driver to intervene in an emergency.
 
Autonomous vehicles are also required to send an alert to the driver in case of a possible frontal collision or other road emergencies.