Hwaseong Becomes Nation's First 'Autonomous Driving Demonstration City'

[Suwon Ilbo=Ki-ho Choi] Hwaseong City announced on the 1st that it has been selected for the 'Autonomous Driving Living Lab City Selection Project (hereinafter, Living Lab Project)' administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Transportation Safety Authority, attracting 74 billion won in national funding from next year through 2027.

This Living Lab Project is a project that, for the first time in Korea, integrates and demonstrates autonomous driving technology developed through multi-ministerial research and development (R&D;) in urban spaces. The significance of this project lies in verifying the effectiveness of autonomous driving technology through virtual autonomous driving environments and Korea-type autonomous driving experimental city (K-City), providing citizens with various autonomous driving experience opportunities, and laying the groundwork for actual commercialization.

Through this project, the city plans to provide autonomous driving-based services including transportation support for mobility-disadvantaged people, demand-responsive public transit services, road maintenance, emergency dispatch, and road control in the Namyang-eup area and surrounding regions of Songsan, Saesol, Mado, Seoshin, and Dongtan 2. The city aims to transform into a citizen-centered safe future mobility system.

Additionally, the city plans to expand services after autonomous driving demonstration by linking the project with urban development projects including Hwaseong International Theme Park, Songsan Green City, and Dongtan Tram, which coincide with the Living Lab demonstration schedule. The city also projected that attracting domestic companies and potentially overseas companies in the future will be possible.

Hwaseong City Mayor Myung-keun Chung stated, "Attracting an autonomous driving demonstration city is the beginning of a citizen-centered safe future mobility system," and added, "I am pleased that this has become an opportunity for Hwaseong City to truly become Korea's mobility hub."