The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE, Minister Kim Sungwhan) announced that it will provide advance notice of an administrative revision plan from April 30 to May 19 to further segment the charging fee system for public electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities and adjust unit prices. In addition, it stated that, in accordance with the amended Clean Air Conservation Act* (November 2025), it will issue advance notice of a partial revision to subordinate regulations, which stipulate matters delegated under the relevant provisions, from April 30 to June 9.

* (Key points) 1) disclosure of information such as the locations of EV and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle charging facilities and their real-time availability, 2) establishment of management standards for chargers, 3) designation of a dedicated management body, etc.

< Reform of EV Charging Fees >

To address the issue that the current public charging fee system does not adequately reflect actual cost differences by charger type (slow, medium, and fast), the existing two-tier structure, based on charger output of above or below 100 kW, will be subdivided into five tiers (from under 30 kW to 200 kW or above), and unit prices will be adjusted to reflect operating costs such as communications and maintenance expenses.

Detailed information on the proposed fee reform can be found on the MCEE website and the Integrated Zero-Emission Vehicle Portal.* 

* (MCEE website) http://www.mcee.go.kr, (Integrated Zero-Emission Vehicle Portal) ev.or.kr

The revised fee system will apply when using public chargers installed and operated by the MCEE or when making payments with the MCEE membership card (roaming) at chargers operated under agreements with the Ministry. The discounted charging rates currently applied at the MCEE public charging facilities, during weekends and public holidays from 11:00 to 14:00 in spring (March-May) and fall (September-October)*, will be adjusted by applying the existing discount rate to the new unit prices.

* A discount on the electricity usage charge is applied only from 11:00 to 14:00 on weekends and public holidays (up to 48.6 KRW/kWh).

< Strengthening the Management of EV and Hydrogen Vehicle Charging Infrastructure >

In line with the introduction of new provisions related to charging facility management under the Clean Air Conservation Act, set to take effect on November 12, 2026, a revision of subordinate regulations is being implemented to include detailed measures such as management standards for charging facilities for zero-emission vehicles (electric and hydrogen vehicles) and the obligation for installers and operators to register charging facility information. Relevant details can be found on the websites of the National Participation Legislation Center and the MCEE, and the specifics are as follows. 

* (National Participation Legislation Center) opinion.lawmaking.go.kr, (MCEE website) www.mcee.go.kr 

① Establishment of management standards for EV and hydrogen vehicle charging facilities, including the display of charging fees

Charging facility operators will be required to make EV charging fees available on-site through signage or notices, thereby addressing the issue of “opaque pricing.” In particular, for charging facilities at highway rest areas, fee signage will be installed externally - similar to gas stations - so that prices can be checked at a glance.

In addition, to prevent charging facility failures, obligations for preventive maintenance and regular inspections by operators of EV and hydrogen vehicle charging facilities will be strengthened. A response system will also be established to enable monitoring, fault reporting, and user inquiries, thereby minimizing user inconvenience. For operators that fail to comply with the management standards, enforcement measures, such as grounds for corrective orders, will be prepared to enhance the effectiveness of the standards.

② Disclosure of installation and usage information for charging facilities, including those for electric and hydrogen vehicles

Specific provisions will be established for the installation information that charging facility operators must register in the system and the usage information that must be provided in real time. Operators will be required to disclose charging fees, detailed facility locations, and real-time availability on the Korea Environment Corporation’s Integrated Zero-Emission Vehicle Portal (ev.or.kr). This is expected to improve user accessibility to charging facilities available in real time.

③ Establishment of requirements and designation procedures for a dedicated organization responsible for EV and hydrogen vehicle charging facilities

Requirements and designation procedures will also be established for a dedicated organization that will professionally inspect and manage operators’ compliance with charging facility information registration and management standards. Separate dedicated organizations will be designated for EV charging facilities and hydrogen vehicle charging facilities, enabling specialized, expertise-based management.

< Follow-up measures to improve the charging environment for electric and hydrogen vehicles >

In addition to this charging fee reform and the revision of subordinate regulations, the MCEE will also implement the following follow-up measures to create a more convenient charging environment that users can readily experience.

First, the introduction of a seasonal and time-of-use charging rate system for public charging fees will be considered, linking the electricity tariffs received by charging operators with the EV charging fees paid by consumers. Through this, the public charging fee system will be improved so that users can charge at lower rates when renewable energy generation is high.

To prevent the unnecessary removal of charging facilities that have not exceeded their service life (eight years), the subsidy guidelines will be revised so that subsidies are provided only when there are valid reasons for replacement (e.g., irreparable failure) if such facilities are dismantled and replaced. In addition, the guidelines will be revised to allow subsidies to be granted even when apartment (multi-unit housing) managers - rather than charging service providers - directly install and operate charging facilities, thereby expanding users’ options for installation and operation models.

In addition, a standard contract for the installation and outsourced operation of charging facilities will be provided so that developers of new buildings and managers of multi-unit housing can use it as a reference when entering into installation and outsourcing agreements with charging service providers or when coordinating safety and management standards. Together with relevant ministries, standard specifications for chargers in newly constructed multi-unit housing will be established to prevent unnecessary replacement or removal and to improve the overall performance of charging infrastructure. 

Jung Sun-hwa, Director General for Green Transition Policy Bureau at the MCEE, stated, “Reasonable charging fees and convenient access to charging facilities are key to the widespread adoption of EVs.” She added, “Starting with this fee system reform and the establishment of management standards, we will create an optimal charging ecosystem to support the expansion of EV adoption.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com