Korean autonomous buses to showcase tech at APEC meetings

An autonomous shuttle bus runs around Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center in North Gyeongsang Province in this undated photo. Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Korean autonomous buses are set to turn heads during the highly anticipated Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, later this month, showcasing the country’s advanced technology to international guests.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday that it will launch shuttle buses on two circuit routes to provide transportation for attendees. One route will circle Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center, the main venue for the meetings, while the other will operate around Bomun Tourism Complex.

The government hopes the buses will assist — and impress — the roughly 20,000 guests expected to attend next week’s event, including presidents from the 21 APEC member economies. Each bus was made by Kia and KG Mobility, with autonomous control technology provided by Autonomous A2Z, a company based in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province. According to the government, over 90 percent of the autonomous driving technology in the buses is domestically produced.

Shuttle Bus A, which loops around Bomun Tourism Complex, will operate daily, running seven times a day at hourly intervals starting at 10 a.m. It can carry up to 20 passengers. Shuttle Bus B will operate Monday through Thursday, running 10 times per day at hourly intervals starting at 9 a.m., with a capacity of nine passengers.

An autonomous shuttle bus services around Bomun Tourism Complex in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in this undated photo. Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The ministry began testing the buses ahead of the weeklong event, which includes the APEC CEO Summit from Oct. 29-31 and APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting from Oct. 31-Nov. 1. On Sept. 10, the same buses started serving the public on three routes across Gyeongju, running seven times a day at hourly intervals. During the public service period, passengers could book seats online for free or board at designated stops if seats were available.

Public service will be halted during APEC to reserve the buses for VIPs. Public access will resume on Nov. 2.

Jointly planned by the government and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, the buses will be closely monitored during the event by the authority, the Autonomous Vehicle Accident Investigation Committee and the National Police Agency in case of emergencies. The government said it will provide emergency manuals to the bus manufacturers to ensure proper operation and quick responses to any incidents.

Im Wol-si, chief of the Automated Driving Policy Division under the transportation ministry’s Mobility and Motor Vehicles Bureau, said the buses “will demonstrate Korea’s autonomous driving technologies and the competitiveness of the industry to the international community.”