Autonomous Vehicle Adoption Will Scale Through Strategic Regulatory Policies

Minsang Yu is the Chief Strategy Officer at Autonomous A2Z’s Global Policy Office, where he leads global expansion, regulatory strategy and policy development for autonomous vehicles. With over a decade at Hyundai Motor Company and prior service as a CBR Strategy Officer (Captain) in the Korean Army, he brings a rare combination of technical expertise and public policy experience.

Yu has played a central role in shaping Korea’s regulatory framework for Level 4 autonomous vehicles, working closely with government ministries and international bodies. He holds more than 70 patents and has received national recognition, including the Young Scientist Under 40 award and honors from the Prime Minister. He is a frequent speaker, advisor and lecturer focused on advancing Korea’s next-generation automotive industry globally.

“Too often, regulation is seen as a barrier. I see it as a lever. Done right, it accelerates trust, adoption and industry maturity. For emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, legal clarity turns vision into action”

Recognizing Yu’s leadership in shaping autonomous vehicle regulation and enabling real-world commercialization, this interview delves into how the country’s regulatory framework sets a model for other countries driving policy development in key markets worldwide.

AT A GLANCE:

✔Pioneering Autonomous Vehicle Regulation – Led the development of Korea’s Level 4 autonomous vehicle regulations, enabling mass production and commercial viability.

✔Global Recognition and Impact – Successfully positioned Autonomous A2Z’s entry into the Guidehouse Insights Autonomous Vehicle Leaderboard, which ranks as the top global players in self-driving technology.

✔Shaping Global Policy – Advising countries like UN and Singapore on building their autonomous vehicle regulations, leveraging Korea’s experience to support global expansion.

Accelerating Global Compliance: Advancing National and UN-Level Regulation

When I joined Autonomous A2Z, the company had already developed Level 4 autonomous vehicle technology.

The problem was that no regulations existed worldwide to support commercial deployment. We were not waiting for engineering breakthroughs but for the laws.

I was well-acquainted with this challenge after spending over a decade at Hyundai Motor Company, where I led regulatory and policy efforts. I had worked directly with Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) to bridge the gap between engineering and law. My work there centered on aligning innovative vehicle technologies with evolving compliance standards. That experience provided me with the foundation to step into a new role as a CSO, serving as the bridge between innovation and legal reality

Our CEO asked me to lead the charge, so I became a legislative consultant to the Korean government. I proposed a regulatory framework allowing Level 4 vehicles to move beyond concept and into mass production. In March 2024, South Korea became the third country in the world to pass Level 4 autonomous driving legislation. I officially submitted that proposal. It was not theoretical—it changed the trajectory of our industry.

Turning Policy into Production

Most startups in the autonomous vehicle space showcase prototypes. However, these vehicles remain in the demo stage without a legal framework. We made a different bet: build the regulations first, then scale the product.

Thanks to our success, Autonomous A2Z now holds Korean regulatory approval and EU certification. That combination gives us a manufacturing advantage and unlocks new market opportunities. We are no longer a concept-stage company but are on the path to commercial deployment.

Taking Korea’s Model to the World

The demand for real-world deployment is growing and so is interest in how Korea achieved it. Countries are calling. I have been invited to help build frameworks in Singapore, the UAE and United Nations. I currently serve as a board member in our joint venture with a Singaporean firm and as a committee member on Singapore’s regulatory task force.

One clear example of this trend is Serbia. As host of the 2027 World Expo, they aim to deploy autonomous vehicles as part of their national showcase. I have been asked to advise on their regulatory design, leveraging Korea’s experience as a model. And also notably, I led the effort for Autonomous A2Z to become the first Korean company to obtain an autonomous driving license in Singapore, a right-hand-drive country.

I see a dual opportunity: international firms looking to operate in Korea need guidance through a unique legal ecosystem and countries beginning their journey want help replicating our success. We are positioned to offer both.

Building Global Credibility

We’re not just advancing regulations—we’re gaining recognition. In 2023, I led our successful entry into the Guidehouse Insights Autonomous Vehicle Leaderboard, which ranks as the top global players in self-driving technology. We became the only Korean startup listed alongside major U.S. and Chinese companies. I also helped Hyundai reach this list in 2017, so I knew what it would take to get there.

Our recognition was not just technical. It was strategic. It showed that our work was globally credible, not just in terms of engineering prowess but also in terms of operational maturity and regulatory readiness.

That credibility is personal, too. I have served as a member of the Korean delegation to the UN WP.29 committee since 2017, when discussions on Level 4 autonomous regulations began. It remains the longest-running legislative effort in automotive history because it encompasses not only vehicles but also AI, ethics and public trust. We expect the UN framework to be completed by 2027; however, in the meantime, countries such as Germany, Japan and Korea have already moved forward. I have supported that momentum.

Innovation Backed by Intellectual Property

My contributions do not end at policy. I hold 21 domestic and 52 international patents, many of which focus on technology and business models that make that technology commercially viable. My academic background in AI and business administration continues to shape how I bring technical solutions to life through scalable models.

That work has been recognized repeatedly. I have received honors from the Korean Congress, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and even the Prime Minister of Korea. At Hyundai, I was awarded the Hyundai Hero Award—one of the company’s highest distinctions.

The Future: Regulation as a Growth Engine

Too often, regulation is seen as a barrier. I see it as a lever. Done right, it accelerates trust, adoption and industry maturity. For emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, legal clarity turns vision into action.

We are already engaging with UN-level regulation, which will open access to countries that follow its framework, including Singapore and Japan. We are actively shaping that future thanks to my ongoing work with EU regulatory bodies and the Cyprus authority.

At Autonomous A2Z, our mission is not just to build advanced vehicles; it is to transform the way people move. It also ensures those vehicles are legal, operable and scalable globally. We have moved beyond what is possible in theory and are now proving what is achievable in practice.