[Report] "Waited for 1 Hour" UAM Shines Among Cars

Customers Waited 40 Minutes to 1 Hour
480 People Experience UAM on Opening Day of Busan Motor Show

On the opening day of the '2022 Busan International Motor Show' on the 15th, visitors are experiencing SK Telecom's Urban Air Mobility (UAM) exhibition booth.

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] "Mom, I want to ride that too."

On the opening day of the '2022 Busan International Motor Show' on the 15th, the attraction that drew visitors' attention was SK Telecom's Urban Air Mobility (UAM) experience center. From customers familiar with UAM to 7-year-old children who didn't know what UAM was, everyone lined up like at an amusement park.

In the 400㎡ exhibition hall located in the center of the motor show, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) model, scaled down to one-eighth of a 4-seater UAM aircraft, was installed around a giant robotic arm simulator. Riders, wearing headsets, boarded the aircraft against the backdrop of Busan BEXCO's future in 2030 to virtually experience the takeoff, landing, and travel processes. Due to thorough checks similar to those of a real roller coaster, the perceived time is longer than the actual 3-minute ride.

That afternoon, a couple in their 50s from Gimhae, who were waiting in line to board, said, "I think we waited more than 40 minutes just to get in line," adding, "We already knew about Urban Air Mobility (UAM) from newspapers and news." A group of five colleagues visiting together said, "We believe the commercialization of UAM is 100% possible," and "We came to understand industry trends." On that day, about 480 customers experienced the UAM.

In one corner of the exhibition hall, docents introduced the UAM industry and explained SK Telecom's business vision. The docent explained, "The distance from Busan Station to Dongbaek Island is 20 km, but it can be covered in 10 minutes," adding, "You will be able to experience new mobility."

SK Telecom, a telecommunications company, set up a booth at the motor show, traditionally a 'festival of cars,' to publicly promote the socially unfamiliar concept of UAM. An SK Telecom official said, "The company has attended other motor shows before, but this is the first time we have come to a motor show to promote connected intelligence called UAM." It is the only event among domestic UAM operators.

SK Telecom, along with Hanwha Systems, Korea Airports Corporation, and Korea Transport Institute, has entered the 'Korean UAM Grand Challenge (K-UAM GC)' organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and is competing with five other consortia. SK Telecom's strength lies in its partnership with Joby Aviation, the No. 1 UAM aircraft manufacturer in the U.S. The aircraft itself is highly stable and has passed the stringent certification of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to the Ministry of Land's K-UAM roadmap, the global UAM market, valued at $6.1 billion in 2023, is expected to grow rapidly to $10.9 billion at the initial commercialization stage in 2025 and $61.5 billion by 2030. By 2040, it is projected to reach $609 billion (approximately 730 trillion KRW). However, the UAM business faces intertwined challenges such as aviation law regulations, certification issues, and security concerns, making public-private cooperation essential.

Local governments in Korea are also showing keen interest. During the event, Ham Min-yong, SK Telecom's Chief Development Officer (CDO) responsible for UAM business, who made a surprise visit to the booth, told reporters after experiencing the UAM, "Besides Busan, local governments like Jeju Island are showing very strong interest," adding, "Although specific business plans have not been decided, various proposals are coming in."

SK Telecom plans to evolve as a leading connected intelligence business that intelligently links physical elements such as UAM aircraft, vertiports (takeoff and landing platforms), and existing ground transportation. Based on its operational capabilities in location-based services like T map, the company intends to review promising routes and optimal UAM infrastructure.

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