The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea proposed expanding cooperation in future transportation areas, including artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving, among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies.
On September 22, the South Korean government delegation attended the 12th APEC Transportation Ministers' Meeting (TPTMM12) held in Beijing, China, where they discussed future transportation policy directions with member economies.
High-level officials from 21 APEC member economies participated in the meeting. Attendees discussed cooperation strategies centered on the digital transformation of transportation using innovative technologies such as AI and autonomous driving, enhancing regional connectivity, and building safe and resilient transportation systems and supply chains.
The South Korean delegation introduced domestic transportation innovation cases utilizing AI and digital technologies and proposed expanding cooperation among member economies in the smart mobility sector.
The delegation presented examples such as urban autonomous driving demonstrations across Gwangju Metropolitan City, services linking autonomous driving with demand-responsive transport (DRT), and smart logistics utilizing national intelligent transportation system (ITS) infrastructure, Hi-Pass, and AI automation technologies.
They also emphasized the need for institutional cooperation in response to new challenges arising from the spread of digital transportation systems. The proposal includes jointly addressing issues related to data utilization and protection, cybersecurity, technology standards, and safety regulations, as well as sharing policy and technical experiences through the 'APEC Smart Mobility Forum' led by South Korea.
Kim Bae-sung, chair of the APEC Transportation Working Group (TPTWG), presented the group's achievements, including the preparation of recommendations for smart mobility and the restructuring of expert groups. The TPTWG has been working on reorganizing its cooperation framework by integrating and restructuring the existing four expert groups and establishing a new Transportation Research Expert Group (EGTR).
The government delegation plans to visit the Beijing Yizhuang Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone to observe services such as fully autonomous robo-taxis and self-driving buses operating on actual roads, and to reference the operational systems and safety management practices in the domestic autonomous driving policy.
Park Jae-soon, head of the Transportation Logistics Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "The goal of digital innovation is to connect to safe and convenient transportation services. We will actively share our practical experiences and policies with member economies and contribute to creating a safe and reliable future transportation ecosystem through the APEC Smart Mobility Forum."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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