Ministry of Science and ICT, ETRI Lead International Standardization for Autonomous Vehicles... Korea Secures First Chairmanship

[Financial News] The recommendations and technical report on autonomous vehicles developed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) have been adopted as the first international standards for software-defined vehicles (SDVs) by the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T). Cha Hong-gi, head of ETRI's Intelligent Information Standards Research Lab, who led the standard development, has been appointed as the new international chair, or rapporteur, of Working Party Q10/21 on autonomous driving and vehicle multimedia standardization.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 6th, the recommendation and technical report were formally adopted at the ITU-T Study Group 21 (SG21) meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 6 to 17. This marks the first time an ETRI-developed recommendation has been established as an ITU-T international standard for SDVs. Through the Information and Communications Broadcasting Standard Development Support Project, the ministry and ETRI have proactively developed standards to foster new industries and markets based on ICT convergence. They have also supported domestic and international standardization activities to strengthen global leadership, including the adoption of Korean ICT standards and the advancement of Korean experts into chair positions. Earlier, the ministry, together with the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP) and ETRI, pushed ahead with a project to develop international standards related to SDVs, and used the support project to produce the recommendation and technical report.
The recommendation sets out technical requirements for each function needed to implement SDV services, including over-the-air updates and cloud connectivity. It is expected to serve as a common blueprint that automakers and software companies can consult when developing SDV products and services, easing development burdens caused by differing specifications and improving service interoperability.
The technical report also outlines the concept and core technologies of SDVs, along with standardization and industry trends and future standardization directions. It is seen as a shared knowledge base that countries and companies can use when setting policy and development strategies for SDVs, laying the groundwork for South Korea to lead subsequent standardization discussions.
The research project was led by Cha Hong-gi, head of ETRI's Intelligent Information Standards Research Lab. Kim Seong-han, a principal researcher at ETRI, served as editor of the recommendation, while Hong Jeong-ha, also a principal researcher, served as editor of the technical report.
In recognition of his contributions, Cha was appointed as the new international chair, or rapporteur, of Working Party Q10/21 on autonomous driving and vehicle multimedia standardization. He is the first Korean to hold the formal chairmanship, which had previously been held by representatives from the United States and Japan. He will now play a key role in identifying future international standardization tasks, leading discussions, and overseeing the standard approval process.
The recommendation and technical report, led by Kim Seong-han and Hong Jeong-ha, also offer a path forward in a field where companies have been competing to secure leadership in SDVs through their own platforms. By easing development burdens caused by differences in specifications among manufacturers and improving service compatibility between vehicles, the standards are expected to accelerate growth across the SDV ecosystem, including automakers and software companies. They are also expected to be widely used in policy and industry settings across the 194 member countries of the ITU.
The achievement of securing the chairmanship and establishing international standards through this standard development project is considered highly significant, as it gives South Korea a foundation to directly lead discussions on international standards for future automotive technologies.

[email protected] Youn Ji-an Reporter