Korea’s autonomous shuttle begins test run

Two of the level-four autonomous 11-seaters will run between the entrance of the second Pangyo Techno Valley and the Pangyo subway station, a distance of about 5.5 kilometers. The vans will travel at 25 kilometers per hour.

There are five levels of autonomy among self-driving vehicles, with a level-five vehicle being fully autonomous and requiring no human intervention, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“What I imagined as a young child through cartoons has become reality. This is a meaningful day that clearly shows the direction Gyeonggi Province and South Korea’s business (world) and economy should head toward,” said Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung at the ceremony at the second Pangyo Techno Valley.

Lee added that full support would be provided for Pangyo to emerge as an important high-tech industrial center for Korea.

During September and October, professionals and officials involved in the project will ride the shuttle to test it out, and test rides will be open to the public starting in November, the Gyeonggi provincial government said.