▲ New autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone introduction services and scope (Image source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)


The autonomous vehicle service area has been expanded to 16 districts in 12 cities and provinces nationwide.
Busan's pilot district is expected to strengthen its competitiveness by hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo.

The designation of the Osiria district in Busan as a pilot operation area for autonomous vehicles is expected to strengthen the city's competitiveness in preparation for hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 25th that the 'Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Operation Zone Committee' has confirmed two new zones in Busan, Osiria and Iksan, and Daejeon Metropolitan City, an extension of the existing Chungcheong region (North Chungcheong Province and Sejong), as autonomous vehicle pilot operation zones, and plans to announce them in November.

The autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone is a new system introduced in accordance with the 'Autonomous Vehicle Act' that came into effect in May 2020. 14 zones, including Sangam in Seoul and Jeju, have been designated in three stages so far, and with this designation, the number will expand to 16 zones in 12 cities and provinces nationwide.

In six districts, including Seoul and Sejong City, a total of nine companies have already received limited transportation licenses and provided demonstration services to the general public.

Additionally, the service is scheduled to launch in eight districts, including Cheonggyecheon in Seoul and Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province, in 2023, expanding opportunities for the general public to more easily see and experience autonomous vehicles in their daily lives.

The three newly designated districts are: △Busan △Daejeon △Iksan Through the designation of this pilot operation zone, the city competitiveness of the Busan Osiria Tourist Complex is expected to be strengthened in order to host the 2030 Busan World Expo, and in the case of Iksan City in North Jeolla Province, the combination of high-speed rail and autonomous driving services is expected to improve transportation convenience in local small and medium-sized cities.

In addition, in the case of Daejeon, a long-distance autonomous driving transportation service will be applied in conjunction with the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) service through an extension of the existing district (North Chungcheong Province and Sejong).

Park Ji-hong, Director General of Automobile Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “Since the pilot operation zone system was introduced to support autonomous vehicle verification and expand services, 12 out of 17 cities and provinces across the country have been designated in just two years, and the target areas for autonomous vehicle services are rapidly expanding based on high interest from local governments.” He added, “In the future, we plan to operate the pilot operation zones in a substantial manner so that they can actually support the commercialization of autonomous vehicles by not only quantitatively expanding the pilot operation zones but also conducting operational evaluations of the existing designated pilot operation zones.”