South Korea plans to put self-driving cars on the road by 2020, ahead of Japan

According to Forbes, China has already tested self-driving buses, and Tokyo plans to use self-driving cars for the 2020 Olympics. South Korea has been slow to develop self-driving cars, but some government measures and Hyundai's efforts have put it on the fast track in the field of self-driving car development. South Korea hopes to beat Japan to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and plans to launch a test version of the self-driving car in December this year.

Hyundai Ioniq self-driving car

But Seo Seung-woo, a professor at Seoul Kookmin University, said there is a lack of cooperation among South Korea's self-driving car development agencies. He leads a team of 20 people developing a self-driving taxi codenamed SNUber, and his team must solve various problems in development. "In the traditional automobile industry, someone makes maps, someone is responsible for roads and traffic signs, and someone is responsible for manufacturing cars, and all parties work together. But in the field of self-driving cars, since no one makes maps, dedicated traffic signs or cars, we have to solve these problems at the same time."

South Korea expects Level 3 autonomous vehicles to be available for sale in 2020. Level 3 autonomous vehicles mean that the car can make some decisions on its own, but still requires human supervision.

Leading the pack is Hyundai, whose subsidiaries hold six of South Korea’s 12 self-driving car test licenses. Hyundai has developed an “intelligent perception” driver assistance system that enables Level 2 self-driving technology, including smart cruise control. Hyundai plans to release Level 3 self-driving technology in 2020—in line with the South Korean government’s goal—and Level 4 self-driving technology in 2030.

Hyundai plans to invest RMB 12.4 billion from 2015 to 2018 to develop related technologies including connected car communication platforms in cooperation with Cisco and other global IT giants. Hyundai showcased its Ioniq self-driving car equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving technology at the International Consumer Electronics Show and auto shows in Detroit and Los Angeles.

Internet portal Naver hopes to become the first Internet company in South Korea to test self-driving cars. Once it obtains a license, Naver plans to test self-driving cars through its Naver Labs unit.

Government support

The South Korean government hopes that infrastructure development will promote the development of self-driving cars. The Ministry of Transportation plans to invest 170 million yuan in self-driving car infrastructure this year, and other departments will also invest funds to cultivate self-driving technology.

But Seo Seung-woo said that public uneasiness about self-driving cars has delayed legislation, "Legislation has not kept up, and many existing laws have hindered testing, such as those related to vehicle registration and insurance. The legislature has no experience and is afraid of the future." The South Korean government said that the lack of international standards has affected the government's formulation of relevant laws and regulations.

The recently revised Korean Automobile Management Act allows testing of self-driving cars on city roads, meaning that Korean roads will become a testing ground for self-driving cars. Self-driving car development agencies are already mapping more areas.

Seo Seung-woo's team has been developing Level 4 self-driving cars since 2009. After obtaining a new license this year, they will let SNUber "go out" of the campus to make maps of other areas and collect data needed to cope with various weather conditions. He said, "I hope to be at the forefront of self-driving technology and hope that this technology can have a significant impact on our society. This will be the best reward for researchers like me."

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.