Jeju Island, emerging as a hub for mobility innovation, is now proactively pursuing research into the legal framework for future mobility, seeking new directions for South Korea's mobility policy. Jeju National University recently established the 'Center for Local Era Law and Policy Research' under its Institute of Law and Policy, planning to embark on full-scale legal and institutional research for advanced mobility environments such as autonomous driving, UAM (Urban Air Mobility), and electric vehicles. The center emphasizes research that reflects regional characteristics, focusing on developing practical laws and policies applicable to special regions like Jeju Island. This initiative underscores the increasingly crucial role of legal frameworks in the era of mobility revolution and highlights Jeju Island's potential to establish itself as a future mobility hub. The impetus behind Jeju National University's pursuit of this research lies in Jeju Island's inherent potential as a future mobility hub. Due to its geographical characteristic as an island, Jeju possesses a unique environment where research into both land-based and maritime mobility can be conducted simultaneously. Furthermore, Jeju Island is gaining attention as a region actively promoting various mobility innovation projects, including the potential designation as an autonomous driving special zone, policies to expand electric vehicle adoption, and the advancement of UAM demonstration projects. This environment provides optimal conditions for experimenting with new mobility technologies and researching related legal frameworks. The establishment of Jeju National University's center is regarded as a significant endeavor to connect these regional specificities with academic research and policy development. The 'Center for Local Era Law and Policy Research' is expected to play a pivotal role in establishing the legal and institutional foundations necessary to respond to the rapidly changing mobility environment. Specifically, research is anticipated on liability regulations for the commercialization of autonomous driving technology, safety operation and management regulations for UAM, including flying cars and drones, and region-specific incentive systems related to expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure. These research topics reflect the legal and institutional challenges currently facing South Korea's mobility industry. Particularly for autonomous vehicles, legal standards for clearly assigning liability in the event of an accident are not yet fully established. In the case of UAM, there is a legal vacuum between existing aviation laws and road traffic laws. Furthermore, leveraging Jeju Island's unique characteristics as an island, it is highly probable that legal and policy research related to maritime mobility will be conducted concurrently. Maritime mobility requires a different legal framework than land-based mobility, and a more detailed legal and institutional approach is particularly necessary in regions where tourism and marine industries are significant, such as Jeju Island. With the emergence of new maritime mobility technologies like electric vessels, autonomous ships, and marine drones, establishing a regulatory framework to address them has become an urgent task. Jeju National University's research center is expected to produce differentiated research outcomes by pursuing integrated mobility legal framework research that encompasses both land and sea. **Establishing Legal Foundations for Advanced Mobility, Including Autonomous Driving and UAM** One reason for the attention garnered by the center's opening is its aim to strengthen the link between academic research and actual policy. Beyond mere theoretical studies, it seeks to propose concrete alternatives that can influence real policy decisions. Based on its academic research capabilities, the center is expected to contribute to the policy formulation of local governments and, furthermore, provide crucial reference materials for the development of the national mobility legal framework. This is highly significant as it demonstrates how local universities can conduct research reflecting regional specificities and create a virtuous cycle by feeding those results back into policy. Given the rapid pace of change in the global mobility industry, the swift overhaul of legal frameworks is a critical task. Many countries are improving their legal systems to respond to new mobility technologies such as autonomous vehicles and UAM. Concerns have been raised that if legal frameworks lag behind the pace of technological development, overall industrial progress could be hampered. In South Korea, in particular, existing regulations have often failed to adequately cover new mobility technologies, leading to regulatory gaps or, conversely, excessive regulations that stifle innovation. In this context, Jeju National University's research is expected to play a crucial role in finding a
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