Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Roadmap for Establishing Smart Transportation Systems for the Commercialization of Autonomous Vehicles
We will pursue commercialization by laying the foundation for technology development and building smart infrastructure.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to equip Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles capable of fully autonomous driving by 2022 and move beyond early commercialization to widespread adoption.

Leading companies such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Honda, Toyota, and Ford are pushing forward with a target of 2020 for the commercialization of autonomous vehicles. Major developed nations, including the United States, Europe, and Japan, are accelerating the timeline for commercialization by building smart infrastructure tailored to the traffic characteristics of each city. Accordingly, private companies, the government, and national agencies in Korea are also striving to develop cooperative autonomous driving combined with infrastructure, with a focus on 'safety'.
Kim Chang-ki, an official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated at the 2018 International Future Automobile Forum, “The government aims to lay the foundation for commercialization this year, commercialize Level 3 autonomous vehicles capable of autonomous driving in specific sections by 2020, and expand Level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles by 2022.”

Various initiatives are required to achieve the goal. The government announced that to realize its goals, it would lay the foundation for technological development and progress, and proceed with the construction of smart infrastructure, the creation of an infrastructure industry ecosystem, and projects that are tangible to the public.

Establishing a foundation for technology development
Autonomous vehicles are affected by various environments. During the demonstration process, it is crucial to set up the system to closely resemble actual driving conditions. Interest in accident prevention has also increased due to the cases of Uber and Tesla. Thorough testing is required before vehicles can be deployed on actual roads. In the case of the Uber accident, the cause was a lack of vehicle recognition due to backlighting, while in the Tesla accident, the vehicle lacked the ability to distinguish between light and shadow when facing an oncoming white truck.

Based on accident cases, a test infrastructure capable of simulating various scenarios as described above is necessary. Domestically, there are plans to construct weather simulation facilities at 'K-City' that can replicate adverse conditions such as snow, rain, and fog. By fully equipping the facility with highways, urban areas, and parking lots, an autonomous driving test environment is being established, and a data sharing center is being operated to lay the groundwork for sharing driving information across diverse environments. As this technological foundation evolves by incorporating feedback from both the public and private sectors, it is expected to elevate the level of autonomous vehicle testbeds alongside the industrial ecosystem.

Smart infrastructure construction
Safe and efficient autonomous driving requires smart infrastructure such as communication networks, lanes, and test tracks. Hong Seung-pyo, a manager at SK Telecom’s Network Technology Institute, explained, “Autonomous vehicles incorporate approximately 140 sensors that generate a large amount of data, and it is crucial to analyze and effectively transmit this data.” Accordingly, Korea plans to expand 5G-based smart road systems characterized by ultra-high speed and large-capacity processing.

The government has been conducting a pilot project in Daejeon and Sejong since 2014, installing communication base stations and pedestrian detectors. In addition, plans are underway to lay the foundation for shared services in Seoul and Jeju by establishing systems on bus lanes and tourist roads, and to build urban testbeds by creating autonomous cooperative driving test environments at locations such as Sangam DMC and COEX. There are also plans to smarten up national highways by prioritizing the implementation of communication networks in sections where autonomous driving is difficult, such as sharp curves and tunnels.

High-precision road maps, which serve as a guide for autonomous driving, are also a core component of smart infrastructure. The government and private sector are jointly establishing maps and real-time traffic control systems. The basic high-precision maps comprehensively provide information on major buildings, road signs, road and traffic conditions, signals, pedestrians, and personal and other vehicles. This is expected to expand to all roads by 2025, starting with expressways in 2020. Autonomous driving traffic control centers, which monitor the entire nation in real-time using advanced high-precision road maps, will be expanded in stages starting in 2025. High-precision GPS with an accuracy of within 1 meter at 100 km/h is also set for commercialization.

Creation of an infrastructure industry ecosystem
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recognizes the need to ensure interoperability between vehicles on any road, regardless of the manufacturer. Experiments to verify, secure, and develop this interoperability are scheduled to be conducted in the first and second halves of the year. Currently, the United States is the only place that has established an environment for interoperability testing. The Ministry plans to establish a private-sector council to provide support by constantly monitoring and reflecting international standards in the test environment, ensuring that performance equivalent to that achieved in the U.S. can be achieved even when tested in the U.S. Furthermore, through this council, the Ministry plans to foster an industrial ecosystem by promoting the co-growth of the autonomous and cooperative driving industry through inter-company linkages, support for technology development, and the nurturing of startups. Along with the development of technology and infrastructure, job creation effects are also expected.

This private council was launched in March and is leading the establishment of relevant standards with the participation of 162 organizations related to autonomous driving, including automobiles, telecommunications, mapping, and security solutions.

Promotion of projects that are tangible to the public
In the United States, public acceptance—specifically regarding whether citizens can trust and operate autonomous vehicles and various systems—is viewed as a key challenge. Perception surveys revealed that trust was diminished upon direct experience. Consequently, companies such as Hyundai Motor and SK Telecom are collaborating to regularly hold autonomous vehicle demonstration events in locations like Pangyo and Seoul.

Kim Chang-ki, an official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, “We expect autonomous vehicles to first appear in the form of a sharing economy rather than through sales, and we are currently collaborating with various sharing companies.” He added, “Furthermore, by focusing on R&D and establishing institutional frameworks, we will combine Korea’s telecommunications, roads, and infrastructure to realize fully autonomous driving by 2030.”