GANGNEUNG CITY ENG - 솔향강릉

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​- Pilot operation of autonomous vehicles for tourists as part of the efforts to successfully host the 2026 ITS World Congress-

Gangneung City has begun the initiative to emerge as a leading city in cutting-edge mobility with the pilot operation of self-driving vehicles that take tourists to major tourist attractions in the city.

The pilot service linking state-of-the-art technology and tourism services is expected to present a new aspect of smart tourism with the application of mobility service technology using artificial intelligence (AI) and big data.

Three private companies have been selected and a total of five vehicles (two shuttle-type vehicles and three modified vehicles) have been adopted for the pilot service, which has been completed. The service was officially launched to accommodate tourists and local residents on January 9.

In connection with the intelligent transportation system (ITS) establishment project, the self-driving vehicle service for tourists is being operated with safety as the top priority, with the application of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology for vehicles to communicate with one another and their environment based on road facility information (lanes, road surface markings, traffic light locations, etc.).

For Route A (5.8 km) from the city center to tourist destinations and Route C (4 km) from Anmok to Gangmun Beach, a modified self-driving Kia Carnival with two lidar systems and high-performance cameras mounted on the front of the vehicle is in operation. Meanwhile, a modified Hyundai Kona equipped with one lidar system and three radars and a shuttle-type (15-passenger) self-driving vehicle without a driver’s seat will be operated for Route B (6 km) that takes tourists from Chodang (Gangmun) to Seongyojang House and Ojukheon House and for Route A-1 (4 km), which circulates between Chodang (Gangmun) and Arte Museum Olympic Museum, respectively.

On June 24, 2022, Gangneung City was designated as an autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport according to the Act on the Promotion and Support of Commercialization of Autonomous Vehicles.

An official from Gangneung City Government said, “By providing residents and tourists with the opportunity to experience state-of-the-art mobility for free until the ITS World Congress in 2026, we expect it to serve as an impetus for Gangneung to establish its smart tourism city brand and grow into a leading city in advanced mobility.”