Autonomous Bus to Operate in Yongin... Free Rides Starting on the 27th

Plans to Review Paid Operations After Free Rides

Fully Autonomous Robotaxi to Launch in Seoul Later This Year

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province will begin operating autonomous buses starting July 27.

Yongin City autonomous bus 'Yongin A01'. Provided by Yongin City

On July 16, more than 100 people, including Mayor Lee Sangil, City Council Chairperson Jang Jeongsun, Yongin Severance Hospital Director Park Jino, and local residents attended a ceremonial event for the launch of the autonomous bus pilot route "Yongin A01" at Yongin Severance Hospital in Dongbaek-dong, Giheung-gu.

Previously, the city began a self-driving vehicle operation project in July 2025, completed vehicle retrofitting and self-driving software installation, and acquired temporary operation approval. In November 2025, the city also signed a business agreement with Yongin Severance Hospital to promote a "pilot project for autonomous vehicles," thereby laying the foundation for the initiative.

Yongin City will host an autonomous bus trial ride event for a group of citizens who registered in advance from July 20 to 24, and will officially launch regular autonomous operations starting July 27.

The Yongin A01 route is a demonstration route for autonomous vehicles established after the area surrounding Yongin Severance Hospital was designated as an "autonomous vehicle demonstration zone" in December 2024. The route departs from Yongin Severance Hospital, stops at Dongbaek Station, Dongbaek Emart, Dongbaek Library, returns via Dongbaek Station, and finally heads back to Yongin Severance Hospital. Two 14-seater medium-sized buses will be deployed for this route, operating on weekdays from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM at intervals of 15 to 30 minutes.

The autonomous bus is free of charge for all citizens, and the city will review the potential for a paid service in the future after observing the outcomes of the operation. Mayor Lee stated, "Regular autonomous bus service will begin on the 27th, so I hope many citizens will use it and provide feedback if they encounter any inconvenience. We will strive to ensure the success of this pilot project and expand autonomous transportation services to areas underserved by public transit."

Meanwhile, in November 2026, a Level 4 (L4, fully autonomous) robotaxi capable of handling all situations without a driver will be introduced in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. However, the Level 4 robotaxi will not be fully driverless at first; during the initial phase, a safety supervisor will be seated in the front passenger seat. Anyone will be able to hail the Level 4 robotaxi using a taxi app.

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