Testing Autonomous Vehicles Across Entire Cities... Pilot Project Plans to Be Announced in December

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Holds Regional Council Meeting on Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Zones

The Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Operation Zone Regional Council will be held in Gyeongju on the 17th. This meeting was organized to reflect the opinions raised at the regulatory rationalization meeting chaired by President Lee Jaemyung in mid-September and at subsequent on-site discussions in actual policy implementation.

Seventeen cities and provinces nationwide, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as well as other relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Science and ICT, which are promoting related policies, will participate. The council plans to discuss support measures for pilot projects to enhance the competitiveness of domestic unmanned autonomous driving technology.

First, consensus was reached on promoting autonomous driving pilot cities. Currently, only limited operations are allowed by designating specific areas as pilot operation zones. Because only small-scale pilot projects are conducted on a route basis during non-peak hours, there have been limitations in learning from various exceptional situations (edge cases). The plan is to designate locations where large-scale pilot projects can be conducted without restrictions at the city level, as is the case in the United States or China.

Operational vehicles to be used during the Gyeongju APEC Summit at the end of this month. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The council will also address measures for coexistence with the local transportation industry that may arise when conducting large-scale pilot projects with over 100 vehicles, ways to ensure seamless operation even in school zones, and corporate support measures such as providing vehicle platforms for pilot tests. Based on these discussions, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it plans to unveil a strategy for promoting pilot cities by December.

The meeting will also discuss institutionalizing service industries specialized in autonomous driving, such as remote vehicle monitoring, emergency dispatch support, and vehicle maintenance, which are required when introducing overseas autonomous vehicles and providing services in Korea. Even when introducing overseas autonomous vehicles, a domestic service industry infrastructure will be established to avoid dependence on foreign technology or services. The council will also address institutional management of data and cybersecurity, which are directly linked to national security. Likewise, a plan to strengthen the competitiveness of the autonomous vehicle industry will be announced within this year.

Lim Wolsi, Director of the Autonomous Driving Policy Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "The development of the autonomous driving industry begins with improving the technology acceptance of local governments and residents," adding, "Expanding autonomous driving services in everyday life can drive technological growth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.