This October, fully autonomous vehicles will take to the roads in South Korea for the first time. While self-driving cars are currently operating in certain areas like Seoul, they require a human presence in the driver’s seat due to safety concerns. Now, similar to the U.S. and China, true unmanned autonomous vehicle operations are beginning in South Korea. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and industry experts believe this could be a pivotal moment for the country’s autonomous driving industry.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on June 12 it had granted a temporary permit for unmanned autonomous vehicles equipped with RideFlux’s self-driving system to operate on public roads. For a vehicle to drive autonomously, it must recognize road conditions, make decisions, and control the machinery. This requires software that acts as the vehicle’s “brain,” commanding the entire system without error. RideFlux has developed such software, meeting the safety and technical requirements set by the ministry. This software has been installed in the Hyundai Genesis GV80, which received the permit.
This is the first time the ministry has permitted unmanned autonomous driving. Since 2016, 437 autonomous vehicles have operated or are operating in areas like Seoul and Jeju Island, but human presence was mandatory for safety. While some specialized vehicles like street sweepers have operated unmanned, their top speed was below 10 km/h. RideFlux claims it has developed technology that enables autonomous driving at speeds over 80 km/h on highways, even in adverse weather conditions like rain or snow.
Before the start of unmanned autonomous operations in October, the ministry plans to conduct a phased verification process to ensure safety. From June to July, a human driver will be present in the driver’s seat, and from August to September, a human will sit in the passenger seat. If there are no significant incidents, unmanned operations will commence in October. The permitted autonomous vehicle will run on a 3.2-kilometer route within the Sangam autonomous driving test area in Seoul starting June 13. For safety, it will operate when there is less traffic, specifically from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., with a speed limit of 50 km/h.
Experts predict that this permit for unmanned autonomous vehicles will enable domestic companies to seriously enter the global autonomous driving market. Autonomous driving technology is classified from level 0 to level 5 based on the degree of driver involvement, and the current permit covers level 4, where the vehicle can drive autonomously within specific areas without human intervention. Obtaining this permit in South Korea not only validates the technological level but also significantly boosts its commercial value. The ministry expects that this decision will lead to a surge in applications for permits from domestic companies.
However, opinions are divided on whether this technology will lead to the commercialization of “robo-taxis” (driverless ride-hailing services), considered the next big thing in the autonomous driving industry. Safety concerns remain unresolved. For instance, last October, an autonomous vehicle from Cruise, a leading industry player, dragged a person for about 6 meters after hitting them. Both Cruise and Google’s Waymo were involved in around 50 accidents last year, leading to a temporary halt in their operations. Ford has announced it is abandoning level 4 autonomous driving and has closed Argo AI, its joint venture with Volkswagen. Apple also canceled its electric car project, abandoning its autonomous vehicle development efforts.
