Self-Driving City

[Anchor Lead]

The Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport says it will build a new city for testing self-driving vehicles in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do Province in a bid to help foster the development of self-driving technology. Here’s more.

[Pkg]

Fifty-eight self-driving vehicles are already in use in the United States. Their combined mileage has reached 4.6 million kilometers. But there are only eight self-driving vehicles in Korea, operated on a pilot basis. To catch up with advanced countries, Korea must conduct as many driving tests as possible in a short period of time.
That's why the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has decided to build a self-driving test city called K-city.

[Soundbite] Hong Yun-seok(Korea Transportation Safety Authority) : "Technologies that take a year to develop by being tested on real motorways will require only one or two months in K-city."

K-city, which is to be built in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do Province, will act as a test bed for autonomous vehicles and their safety, also taking into account pedestrians and public transportation. Virtual reality tests of various dangerous situations will also be carried out repeatedly.

[Soundbite] Lee Chang-ki(Min. of Land, Infrastructure & Transport) : "K-city will prove useful if we engage many individuals to produce as many research results as possible, because technology and safety standards go hand in hand."

The Korean government is actively seeking to develop self-driving technologies, but securing professionals who can carry out the necessary research remains a challenge.