The 119 ambulances currently operated as primary vehicles by frontline fire stations are made by modifying the Staria.

[Bae Sung-jae / Reporter: We are inside an ambulance. As you can see, there is no space for a person to fit between the partition separating the driver's seat and the patient compartment, and the cot. Consequently, the workspace available for emergency medical technicians is inevitably narrow.]

To address these issues, the Emergency Medical Service Act was amended in April of last year. As a result, ambulances registered starting April 2 of next year must secure a minimum emergency treatment space of 70 cm from the partition to the cot.

However, the issue arose because the current Staria ambulances cannot meet these standards, and the Solati, the only domestic vehicle capable of meeting the revised specifications, has been confirmed for discontinuation in August of next year.

Even though the National Fire Agency reviewed alternatives such as modifying two types of domestic pickup trucks, paramedics raised voices of concern regarding safety.

Ultimately, at the end of last month, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the responsible government department, officially requested the National Assembly to postpone the enforcement of the law until 2030. According to an SBS investigation, only a single inter-agency meeting had been held prior to this to secure the supply of new ambulances.

[Baek Sun-hee / National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee Member (Rebuilding Korea Party): Trying to postpone the enforcement of the law first is sluggish administration by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and a clear evasion of responsibility. Effective supply measures must be promptly prepared.]

In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that it will explore all possible alternatives to replace discontinued vehicles, including imported vehicles, during the grace period.

Budget cuts also appear inevitable for the National Fire Agency, which had applied for an additional 5.8 billion KRW—an increase of more than 40 million KRW per vehicle compared to the previous year—to introduce new ambulances next year.

With public health center ambulances across the country also needing to replace 73 vehicles by the year after next, concerns are growing over the prolonged operation of aging vehicles.

[Exclusive] Promising 'New Ambulances', Yet Asking to "Delay Enforcement"—What Happened? (October 6, 2026, 8 News)

(Reported by Bae Sung-jae | Produced by Bae Jun-hwi | Camera Fiction by Shin Dong-hwan and Choi Dae-woong | Video Edited by Kim Yun-sung | Produced by SBS Digital News)