Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Yun-duk sits in the passenger seat of a self-driving vehicle during a launching ceremony for the Team Korea for Autonomous Driving initiative at Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju, Wednesday. Yonhap
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officially launched Team Korea for Autonomous Driving, a public-private partnership aimed at making Gwangju the country’s first citywide testbed for self-driving vehicles.
The launch ceremony, held Wednesday at Kimdaejung Convention Center in the southwestern city, included the signing of a memorandum of understanding by all participating entities and the public unveiling of dedicated autonomous driving vehicles.
Under the initiative, 200 software-defined vehicles (SDVs) built by Hyundai Motor will be deployed across Gwangju’s 500-square-kilometer urban area beginning in June.
Autonomous driving firms Autonomous A2Z and RideFlux will install sensors and software on the vehicles and begin real-world testing after completing safety verification procedures.
The project follows a cycle of driving data collection, artificial intelligence model training and field demonstration, with the goal of achieving Level 4 end-to-end autonomous driving by 2027.
Level 4 refers to vehicles capable of operating without human intervention under most conditions.
Gwangju was designated Korea’s first citywide autonomous vehicle pilot zone in April, allowing test operations across residential and commercial areas without the regulatory restrictions that apply to standard roads.
Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance will develop dedicated insurance products for autonomous vehicles and handle emergency response and accident analysis.
The Korea Transportation Safety Authority will manage operations and performance verification around the clock, while the Gwangju Metropolitan Government will provide garage facilities and charging infrastructure.
Participating companies plan to prioritize local hiring for the project, with recruitment information to be shared at a technology exhibition held alongside the ceremony.
“We cannot fall behind the U.S. and China, the frontrunners in autonomous driving,” said Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk.
“Today marks the starting point of our counteroffensive to break into the global top three.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.