Yoo Young-sang, SKT CEO: "UAM is a 'Game Changer'... Commercialization by 2025"

Emphasizing Commitment to UAM Commercialization Through Company Newsroom Column

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] "Urban Air Mobility (UAM) will be a 'game changer' that solves enormous social costs related to transportation."

Yoo Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom (pictured), expressed strong business intentions regarding UAM in a company newsroom column on the 2nd. CEO Yoo stated, "We will rapidly complete the commercialization of UAM to provide innovative services to customers, growth value to shareholders, and a pleasant transportation environment to society."

In fact, South Korea's social infrastructure and population are concentrated in the metropolitan area, resulting in traffic congestion costs amounting to about 3.5% of nominal GDP, which is 18 times that of Germany at 0.2% and 4 times that of the United States at 0.9%. When converted into monetary terms, this results in approximately 68 trillion KRW (based on 2018) in social cost losses.

UAM refers to urban air transportation services using aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing without runways, often called "flying cars." Powered by electricity, UAM produces no carbon emissions during operation and is gaining attention as advanced technology to solve traffic congestion and environmental pollution in regions like Korea, where social infrastructure and population are concentrated in metropolitan areas.

CEO Yoo emphasized, "COVID-19 is reshaping corporate environments and businesses at an unimaginable speed. Although UAM has been considered a technology achievable by 2030, global innovative companies are accelerating this timeline. SKT aims to lead commercialization in Korean airspace by 2025 and enable fully autonomous flight services by 2030."

To commercialize UAM, SKT is actively developing foundational technologies such as mobile communications connecting the skies, autonomous driving, precise positioning, security, and artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, SKT is preparing for commercialization by establishing ultra-collaborative systems with SK Group affiliates specializing in semiconductors and batteries, Joby Aviation?the top UAM aircraft manufacturer?Hanwha Systems, Korea Airports Corporation, and others.

CEO Yoo explained, "The future business SKT pursues 10 years from now has not yet been dominated by any company but must have the potential to change Korea and the world. It would be ideal if it also solves social problems we face, and UAM is a new business that meets these criteria."

Furthermore, CEO Yoo defined businesses that solve social problems through technological innovation, like UAM, as "Connected Intelligence," and mentioned plans to gradually prepare new businesses that were once only imaginable, such as ▲robots replacing human work ▲driverless autonomous vehicles ▲space exploration.

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