South Korea Ahead of the 'UAM Era'... National Assembly Forum Held for UAM Industry Development

- Development Strategies and Measures for the South Korean Aircraft Manufacturing Industry
- Bipartisan Politicians Including Jo Eung-cheon, Lee Heon-seung, and Jin Seong-jun Also Participate

Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which was unfamiliar just a few years ago, is now rapidly and extensively transforming our daily lives. In preparation for the demand in the UAM industry, a forum was held to propose measures for industrial promotion and safety assurance, drawing significant attention.

The National Assembly forum for the development of the UAM industry was held on the 23rd at 9:30 a.m. at the Yeouido Irum Center. It was organized by the Aviation Safety Technology Institute and the Infrastructure Economy Research Institute, and jointly hosted by members of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee: Jo Eung-cheon (Democratic Party), Lee Heon-seung (People Power Party), and Jin Sung-jun (Democratic Party). The event, themed "UAM Era, Strategies for the Development of Korea's Aviation Manufacturing Industry," was attended by over 80 stakeholders from companies, universities, and research institutes.

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) refers to demand-responsive aerial mobility that allows individuals to fly anytime and anywhere according to their needs. It is characterized by not requiring runways, thus having fewer spatial constraints, and the speed to travel a distance that takes one hour by car in just 20 minutes. It is considered one of the solutions to ground traffic congestion.

On the day, Assemblyman Jo Eung-cheon said, “When I first heard about UAM, I thought this was truly an alternative to resolving traffic hell,” adding, “I hope drone taxis and buses will be commercialized in the metropolitan area as soon as possible to enrich our lives.”

He also stated, “Since UAM aircraft are completely different from conventional airplanes, different standards will be needed in every aspect,” and “I hope the discussions from this forum will greatly assist the legislative process for the successful establishment of the UAM industry.”

Following him, Assemblyman Lee Heon-seung said, “There are many challenges to overcome,” and “I hope this forum becomes a platform for discussions on the UAM industry.”

He further urged, “I hope many practical alternatives that can secure global competitiveness will be derived.”

Assemblyman Jin Sung-jun said, “A UAM terminal will be built at Gimpo Airport in my constituency, and a pilot project is planned for 2025,” forecasting the industry by saying, “The UAM industry is an alternative to solving traffic congestion and has value as a future growth engine with an average annual growth rate of 40%.”

He added, “Since global standards have not yet been established, creating technical standards could change the global market landscape,” and “Although we are late, I believe we can gain competitiveness if we actively engage.”

Kim Yeon-myeong, Director of the Aviation Safety Technology Institute, the organizer, introduced in his welcoming remarks and keynote speech that “The UAM industry has great synergy effects through convergence with other industries, and its application fields are very diverse, so its added value and potential are also significant,” and “We are promoting various activation measures so that Korea can leap forward as a first mover in the UAM industry.”

He then asked the forum attendees about the price of the cup holder in the Boeing 737, which we often ride, and explained that although it seems to be worth only 4,000 to 5,000 won, it actually costs up to 200 dollars, emphasizing again the importance of ‘aviation certification.’

He also predicted that since the UAM market has not yet been dominated by any particular country or company, it will be the last opportunity for the aircraft manufacturing industry.

After the congratulatory and welcoming speeches, the forum continued with experts from the government, companies, and research institutes introducing their respective fields and proposing measures to respond to the UAM industry.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.