▲(From left) Kim Yu-bok, head of the Korea Expressway Corporation R&D Division, and Kim Jae-kwang, CEO of Viewrun Technology

Discussions on autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone operation, facility provision, and autonomous vehicle development
Related infrastructure construction and support…Expectations for expansion of autonomous driving services utilizing highways

Korea Expressway Corporation and Viewrun Technology Co., Ltd. signed a business agreement to verify the safety and efficiency of autonomous vehicles that will operate on highways in the future and to revitalize the autonomous driving industry utilizing highways.

The two companies announced that they signed a business agreement to promote a highway autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone at the EX-Smart Center on the 31st of last month.

The construction company will cooperate in designating and operating autonomous vehicle pilot operation zones, providing road information for safe autonomous driving, and establishing various infrastructure facilities. Viewrun Technology Co., Ltd. will promote autonomous vehicle development and operation, and sharing of driving data for safe driving.

With this agreement, the two organizations plan to launch a paid autonomous logistics transport service within the pilot operation area in the second half of next year and continue to expand the operation routes and scope.

Meanwhile, the construction company is preparing to build related infrastructure so that some sections of managed routes, including the Gyeongbu Expressway, can be designated as autonomous vehicle pilot operation zones in the first half of next year. It is expected that various technologies and services from private autonomous driving companies will be utilized within the pilot zones in the future.

Seo Geon-cheol, head of the Smart Road Research Team at Korea Expressway Corporation, said, “With this agreement as a starting point, we will strengthen the cooperative system between autonomous driving companies.” He said, “We will implement safe highway autonomous driving services,” and “We will also actively support highway infrastructure to contribute to the revitalization of the autonomous driving industry.”