Gyeongju City Launches Official Autonomous Vehicle Service... Free for Citizens and Tourists

Three Autonomous Vehicles Deployed on the Bomun Tourist Complex Circulation Route Starting September 10

Gyeongju City has unveiled its vision for future transportation innovation ahead of the 2025 APEC Summit.

Starting September 10, the city began official operations of autonomous vehicles in the Bomun Tourist Complex, marking the first step toward smart mobility services designed to welcome visitors from around the world.

After being selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's “Autonomous Driving Pilot Zone Service Support Project” in February, Gyeongju City prepared for official service by conducting trial runs since July.

Before the official launch to the public, a test ride event was held at Gyeongju Expo Grand Park, attended by Mayor Joo Nakyoung, city council members, and key figures from local institutions and organizations. They experienced the autonomous vehicles firsthand and checked their safety features.

Participants toured around Bomun Lake, where they observed advanced technologies including an AI-based driving system, real-time sensor recognition, and automatic stop functions at stations.

The fleet for official operation consists of three vehicles: one 19-seater Type A vehicle (KGC 090) and two 8-seater Type B vehicles (ROii). These will run seven times per day, five days a week (Tuesday through Saturday) until December 31.

The service is free for all citizens and tourists. Reservations can be made in advance through the Gyeongju City Traffic Information Center website, or passengers may board on-site if seats are available.

Passengers can check boarding information via station signboards and QR codes, and real-time vehicle locations are available on Kakao Map and the Traffic Information Center website.

Operations are managed by Autonomous A2Z, a specialist in autonomous driving. The company is the only domestic full-stack autonomous driving technology firm ranked 11th globally on the 2024 Guidehouse Autonomous Driving Leaderboard. Notably, the Type B vehicles are based on a Level 4 platform with a 96% localization rate, aiming for commercial deployment by 2027.

Gyeongju City plans to introduce autonomous shuttles as transportation for the 2025 APEC Summit, building on the success of this operation.

This will allow world leaders and participants to experience cutting-edge mobility services firsthand, presenting a future-oriented transportation model befitting an international event.

Mayor Joo Nakyoung stated, "We aim to provide opportunities for citizens and tourists to experience autonomous vehicles directly, and through this, position Gyeongju not only as a city of historical and cultural heritage but also as a leading smart tourism city."

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