Jang Seob Yoon
Research expert covering South Korea
Autonomous vehicles in South Korea - statistics & facts
Autonomous vehicles are a goal that South Korea’s public and private sectors are jointly racing towards. As part of its “Mobility Innovation Roadmap”, the South Korean government is taking an active role in providing support for the advent of self-driving cars, whether it be via financial subsidies or designated roads for practical testing. Against this backdrop are domestic mobility companies such as Hyundai Motor Company, often in close cooperation with companies from other related industries like telecommunications or software. All the while, South Korean consumers also anticipate the arrival of fully autonomous vehicles and the exciting possibilities that they entail.
Although level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles remain mostly theoretical, self-driving taxis, also known as robotaxis, are used in many test cases, with some trials even offering services to the public as a form of alternative public transport. However, autonomous driving remains largely out of reach for individual consumers. South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, which comprises Hyundai Motor, Kia, and premium brand Genesis, has previously announced the development of its Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) technology. Like Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot, it provides level 3 autonomous driving capabilities to customers, but a model equipped with HDP is yet to be officially released to the market despite previous announcements.
Another important facet is the software. Connectivity between vehicles and everything relevant in their environment (V2X), can be enabled with further developments in technology and software. This provides opportunities for companies from various industries to participate and contribute. For example, telecommunication operator KT Corporation is developing next-generation communication networks, while domestic tech giant Samsung Electronics is investing in semiconductors and software for autonomous vehicles. Although discussions about self-driving cars transforming vehicles into mobile living spaces might sound premature for now, it appears that the realization of a hands-free driving experience is a matter of when, not if.
How are autonomous vehicles classified?
The levels of autonomous driving classified by SAE International are generally considered standard in the industry. They range from level 0, which means fully manual vehicles with no driving automation, to level 5, which refers to vehicles that offer full driving automation without requiring any input or supervision. A number of modern automobiles would fall under the level 1 or 2 classification, as they come equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that help drivers in various situations; nevertheless, such functions are limited in scope within certain situational parameters (which can be described with the term operational design domain [ODD]) and ultimately cannot replace a human driver.Although level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles remain mostly theoretical, self-driving taxis, also known as robotaxis, are used in many test cases, with some trials even offering services to the public as a form of alternative public transport. However, autonomous driving remains largely out of reach for individual consumers. South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, which comprises Hyundai Motor, Kia, and premium brand Genesis, has previously announced the development of its Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) technology. Like Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot, it provides level 3 autonomous driving capabilities to customers, but a model equipped with HDP is yet to be officially released to the market despite previous announcements.
South Korea’s pursuit of self-driving cars
Images of driverless cars draw attention to the number of extra sensors noticeably attached to the vehicle’s outer frame. Such hardware, including radar, camera, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), play an integral role in driving automation by acting as the “eyes” of a car and providing necessary information about its surroundings. Research into this aspect has been a point of interest among a variety of stakeholders in South Korea, resulting in several patent applications filed in recent years.Another important facet is the software. Connectivity between vehicles and everything relevant in their environment (V2X), can be enabled with further developments in technology and software. This provides opportunities for companies from various industries to participate and contribute. For example, telecommunication operator KT Corporation is developing next-generation communication networks, while domestic tech giant Samsung Electronics is investing in semiconductors and software for autonomous vehicles. Although discussions about self-driving cars transforming vehicles into mobile living spaces might sound premature for now, it appears that the realization of a hands-free driving experience is a matter of when, not if.
