[THE INVESTOR]  An electric car charging facility installed at a gas station started operation on Sept. 7 for the first time in South Korea, the Trade Ministry said.

Recently, the South Korean government revised related laws to allow filling station operators to set up an electric vehicle (EV) charger without the need to install explosion prevention facilities, according to the ministry.

A filling station on Jejudo, the most popular resort island in the country, became the first shop-in-shop station that provides gasoline pumping and EV charging services in one place.

The operator said it aims to establish eight chargers at its four gas stations on the island by the end of this year.

Most of South Korea’s environmentally-friendly cars are being used to travel around Jejudo, with more than 40 percent of 5,712 units, the country‘s total number of electric car registrations, hitting the roads of the region as of last year.

The ministry said it will help establish 250 public charging points on the island in 2016 in order to improve convenience for electric car drivers. It had earlier unveiled a scheme to build more than 600 super EV charging facilities throughout the nation this year.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)