Gyeonggi Province to Launch Korea's First 'Remote Driving' Autonomous Vehicle Service

Gyeonggi Province will launch Korea's first remote driving service for shared cars, starting next month. The new service will deliver cars to a desired location and pick them up again after use. Gyeonggi Province announced this on the 26th. The service involves a remote driver controlling the car's movement from a separate "remote driving control area" via real-time video feeds, using 4G or 5G communication networks.

The vehicle then sends back live video and condition updates. Unlike fully autonomous driving, this system can use existing communication networks and vehicles at a lower cost, making rapid deployment feasible. The test will run for three months from the end of December, testing the technology's safety and service potential in real city traffic.

Gyeonggi Province plans to use the results to explore various commercial and public services, including logistics and transportation assistance for the elderly. The service is expected to also complement fully autonomous driving in emergency situations or restricted areas. To use the service, users reserve and pay for a car first, then a remote driver transports it to the designated pick-up location.

After the user drives and returns the car, it is returned to the garage via remote driving. Cars can be picked up and dropped off anywhere within the Techno Valley. The province will conduct the test in two phases, beginning with a beta service for safety-drivers in October, targeting staff from Gyeonggi enterprise growth centers in the first phase, and expanding to all employees in the second phase from November to December.