Urban Air Mobility (UAM), an eco-friendly transportation solution that promises to solve future traffic congestion, has emerged as a game changer. At a UAM policy seminar held to address the need for institutional discussion, a consensus was reached that flexible government legislation and collaboration among development stakeholders are important for Korea to lead the UAM ecosystem.

The 'UAM Urban Air Mobility Industry Development Policy Seminar' hosted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Jin Seong-jun, Choi In-ho, Kim Byeong-wook, and Park Sang-hyeok and organized by Korea Aerospace University and DNA+ Graduate School of Aviation Convergence Technology was held at the Mayfield Hotel Orchid Room on the 14th.

Choi Seung-wook, head of the Urban Aviation Policy Team at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, announced in his presentation on the ‘Current Status of Preparations for the Commercialization of Urban Air Transport UAM’ that both policies and technologies must be supported to create a new ecosystem, and that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will form ‘UTK (UAM Team Korea)’ to encourage active participation from all stakeholders.

Team Leader Choi expressed his expectation that Korea will be able to take the lead in next-generation UAM by utilizing hydrogen fuel cells and other technologies, and said that the goal is to identify issues and verify legal systems by 2024, and then launch pilot projects and commercialization starting in urban areas in 2025.

In particular, Team Leader Choi emphasized the importance of building a connected transportation system. It is expected that after commercialization, it will be developed with focus and will be fully operational in 30 years, allowing it to perform the role of a taxi in the future.

The UAM-related laws are divided into the definition of terms, integration of general policy support, and the aviation special law. The gist is that existing aviation laws will not be applied to the demonstration project area as a basic rule, and in areas where it is unavoidably necessary, regulations will be minimized in the colonel's regulations.

■ Jeju Air, Kakao Mobility, and LG Uplus share their respective industry statuses.

In his presentation, Jeju Air UAM Business Promotion Team Leader Park Tae-ha emphasized the importance of operators ahead of UAM commercialization, and emphasized that in the UAM industry, securing social acceptance, along with safety, is crucial for the flexibility of managing time and location.

Director Park said, “UAM operators are ultimately the starting point of the UAM ecosystem, and for the stable installation and successful commercialization of domestic UAM, operators with specialized capabilities, experience, know-how, specialized personnel, and aircraft operation experience are important.”

He also emphasized social acceptance, diverse route networks, flexible legal systems, and government financial support as requirements for UAM success.

Son Ha-un, head of the UAM service team at Kakao Mobility, emphasized the importance of connectivity with ground transportation. He argued that vertiports should be installed throughout the city to secure boarding and alighting space, and that cooperation between industry, academia, and research institutes is important throughout the entire process.

As a MaaS operator, Kakao Mobility expressed confidence in its ability to secure domestic citizens' movement data and optimize payment reservations and other services through the Vertiport platform.

LGU+'s Youngseo Jeon explained the role of the K-UAM project and LGU+'s traffic management system, emphasizing the importance of corridor management, including corridor design and management, approval, and safety.

LGU+ is conducting advanced radio coverage tests related to 5G communications and plans to conduct direct radio measurement experiments at a demonstration complex next spring.

In his presentation, the former director requested smooth approval from local governments for policy support and raised the need for private-led revision of the law regarding aviation joint quality measurement.

Is UAM commercialization possible? Talent development and industry issues need to be addressed.

In his presentation, Professor Lee Geum-jin of Korea Aerospace University argued that industrial development and education are in a mutually cyclical relationship, and that preemptive investment is especially necessary for the introduction of new industries such as UAM.

The professor said, "To meet the steadily increasing demand for aviation and to lead the development of new aviation fields, we need to develop a new talent training model. This requires nurturing not only practical talent in AI, big data, and communications, but also research talent."

Dr. Myung-Hyeon Kim of the Korea Transport Institute addressed overall UAM industry issues, including airframes, safety, and vertiports.

Dr. Kim said that in terms of safety and security, there is ambiguity in identifying the shape of rotary wing/fixed wing aircraft and its connection with the service aspect.He said there were points of discussion related to the simplification of consent.

He also added that it is difficult to establish the concept of an airport/terminal in relation to the vertiport, and that the importance of connected transportation must be raised, and that legislation for specific business plans must proceed along with the technical aspects.

It's still a bit premature to establish the current direction of the UAM industry. However, this policy seminar, attended by relevant stakeholders, should serve as a catalyst for solidifying the understanding that UAM is a novel mode of transportation, requiring joint solutions from relevant industries—aircraft, facilities, platforms, and services. If the government seeks common ground with companies leading the industry ecosystem, it will likely facilitate appropriate financial and policy progress.