Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has announced a Testbed City Initiative, aiming to utilise Gwangju Metropolitan City as a large-scale test site for autonomous driving. The goal is to advance the development and commercialisation of urban-focused AI technologies.

According to the ministry, the initiative seeks to enhance Korea’s competitiveness in AI-driven autonomous driving by conducting citywide tests. This move comes amid rapid technological advancements, with other countries like the United States and China pushing ahead in the field.

Korea has already established a framework for Level 3 automated driving safety standards and introduced a certification system for Level 4 performance. The ministry said it wants to close the gap with other leading nations by pursuing city-scale demonstrations of autonomous driving technologies.

The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to realise its vision for future mobility, outlined in National Agenda No. 31: To Realise Future Mobility and the K-AI City.