South Korea plans to use autonomous driving in 2018 and launch it in 2020

Google popularized the concept of self-driving cars to consumers. Subsequently, companies such as Baidu, Tesla, Uber, and Intel also joined the ranks of self-driving cars. Self-driving cars have become a trend in industry development.

South Korea has been slow to develop self-driving cars, but its ambitions are not small at all. According to Forbes, South Korea hopes to use self-driving cars in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and plans to launch a test version of self-driving cars in December this year, and finally achieve the goal of putting Level 3 self-driving cars on the market in 2020. It is understood that Level 3 self-driving cars mean that under the supervision of the driver, the self-driving system can operate autonomously throughout the entire process, and the driver must take over the driving in case of an emergency.

The South Korean government hopes that infrastructure development will promote the development of self-driving cars. The Ministry of Transportation plans to invest RMB 170 million in self-driving car infrastructure this year, and other departments will also invest funds to cultivate self-driving technology. For example, the recently revised "South Korean Automobile Management Act" allows the testing of self-driving cars on urban roads, which means that South Korean roads will become self-driving car testing grounds, which can provide more key data for the improvement of self-driving cars.

The South Korean government is vigorously promoting the development of self-driving cars. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea pointed out that from March 4, 2016 to November of the same year, it has issued self-driving car test licenses to several companies for on-road testing, including Hyundai and its subsidiary Hyundai MOBIS, KIA, Seoul National University, etc.

Hyundai plans to invest RMB 12.4 billion from 2015 to 2018, working with Cisco and other global IT giants to develop related technologies, including connected car communication platforms. It has also developed an "intelligent perception" assisted driving system that implements Level 2 autonomous driving technology, including smart cruise control. Hyundai plans to release Level 3 autonomous driving technology in 2020 - in line with the South Korean government's goals, and Level 4 autonomous driving technology in 2030.

In addition, Naver, a South Korean portal operator, is also applying for relevant licenses. Once the license is obtained, Naver plans to test self-driving cars through its Naver Labs. Naver owns services such as the map platform Naver Map, the communication software LINE, and the social selfie software SNOW. Naver has announced that it will invest 500 billion won, equivalent to 470 million US dollars, in the next five years to develop self-driving, artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.