"Take a tour in Gangneung by self-driving car"

[Smart City Today]

Gangneung City will start a pilot service of self-driving cars that travel through major tourist attractions in the city.

The pilot operation, which links cutting-edge technology with tourism services, will show the appearance of smart tourism through stable mobility service technology using artificial intelligence and big data.

Currently, three private operators have been selected and completed a test drive of five tourist self-driving cars (2 shuttle-type cars and 3 modified ones), and they plan to hold a test drive event and provide boarding services to ordinary tourists and citizens from January 9.

The test drive event was held at the Gangneung Green City Experience Center with Gangneung Mayor Kim Hong-kyu, Gangneung City Council Chairman Kim Ki-young, Gangwon Province Council Chairman Kwon Hyuk-yeol, and Gangwon Province Construction and Transportation Director Park Ki-dong.

The service, which is linked to the ITS construction project, focuses on safety by apprehending road facility information (rides, road markings, traffic lights) based on precise maps and sharing information with autonomous vehicles through communication technology called V2X (current signal information).

On Route A (5.8km) which connects the city center with tourist attractions and Route C (4km) from Anmok to Gangmun Beach, a modified Carnival self-driving car with two riders and a high-performance camera is operated in front of the vehicle.

On route B (6km) from Chodang (Gangmun) to Seongyojang and Ojukheon, a modified Kona vehicle equipped with one lidar and three radars will be operated.

On the A-1 route (4 km), which circulates from Chodang (Gangmun) to Arte Olympic Museum, a shuttle-type (15-seater) autonomous car with no driver's seat will be operated.

Meanwhile, Gangneung City was designated as a "self-driving car pilot zone" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on June 24 last year under the "Act on Promotion and Support of Commercialization of Self-driving Cars."

An official from Gangneung City said, "From this test drive event to the general assembly of 2026 ITS, we are looking forward to providing citizens and tourists with free cutting-edge mobility experience opportunities for free that to build a brand of the smart tourist city and grow into a leading mobility city."