Korea's Golden Window for Autonomous Driving

"If autonomous driving technology in the U.S. and China is at an adult level, ours is at an elementary school level—I confirmed this with my own eyes. If we don't give our best effort this year, we will fall irretrievably behind."

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk shared his reflections on the technology gap in autonomous driving at a New Year press conference held after his trip to the U.S. last month. For reporters expecting explanations about additional housing supply measures, the minister's remarks came as a surprise. It read as a declaration of intent to finally provide proper support for the autonomous driving industry.

There is ample reason for this sense of urgency. Robotaxis from Waymo and Baidu achieved commercial operations early in major cities across the U.S. and China, becoming part of daily life. Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) is assessed to be practically at Level 3. In contrast, Korea's Level 3-4 autonomous driving remains stuck in the pilot testing phase. This is why the industry unanimously agrees that the next two to three years represent the "last golden window." It means the fate of whether Korea's autonomous driving ecosystem can develop competitiveness against foreign companies will soon be decided.

Until now, domestic autonomous driving technology could not keep pace with overseas levels due to excessive regulations and limited capital. Recently, however, expectations are growing that "this time is different." Last year, the government announced a strategy to enhance autonomous driving industry competitiveness, focusing on commercialization support. Starting this year, the plan is to transform the entire city of Gwangju into an autonomous driving testing ground. The private sector's movements are even more urgent. A prime example is Lee Jae-woong, chief operating officer of Socar, returning to the management frontline six years after stepping down from the CEO position following the "Tada incident." Even the taxi industry, once called the graveyard of innovation, is preparing for the autonomous driving era by partnering with companies such as Kakao Mobility and Hyundai Motor (005380.KS).

At this critical juncture, it is encouraging to see the government and private sector finally running together with a shared mindset. I hope that the government, private sector, and academia—as well as each field including autonomous driving software, mobility platforms, and automakers—will collaborate to achieve the goal of commercialization by 2027.