– On the 25th, a business agreement was signed between four cities and provinces in the Chungcheong region and private enterprise associations –
– Initial focus on transportation demand and medical care… Promoting mid- to long-term tourism construction –
Four cities and provinces in the Chungcheong region, including Sejong Special Self-Governing City (Mayor Choi Min-ho), joined hands with a private enterprise alliance to build the nation's first ultra-wide urban air transportation network.
The city announced on the 25th at the local government hall that it signed a business agreement with the 'K-UAM Dream Team' consortium consisting of SK Telecom, Korea Airports Corporation, Hanwha Systems, and T Map Mobility to commercialize ultra-wide urban air transportation and foster industry.
Urban air mobility is a next-generation high-tech transportation system based on electric power, low-noise aircraft, and vertical take-off and landing pads, and is attracting attention as a future transportation system that can solve urban traffic congestion and environmental pollution.
Mayor Choi Min-ho, mayor of Chungcheong region, and corporate representatives who attended the agreement ceremony agreed to cooperate in creating the nation's first ultra-metropolitan UAM success story by actively utilizing the strengths of the Chungcheong region.
The strengths of the Chungcheong region include its geographical advantage as the center of the country and a strategic point for logistics and transportation, and its excellent cutting-edge science and technology base, including the Sejong Smart City National pilot smart city and Daedeok Research Complex.
In particular, Sejong has the advantage of being the administrative capital of the Republic of Korea, which has been further strengthened by the confirmation of the establishment of the Sejong National Assembly Building, and as a test bed for future cutting-edge technologies such as autonomous driving and drones.
The four cities and provinces in the Chungcheong region and the K-UAM Dream Team consortium plan to actively utilize this to establish the nation's first ultra-wide urban air transportation network in the Chungcheong region and use it as an opportunity to foster related industries.
Although there have been existing business agreements between local governments and companies related to UAM, this is the first case of cooperation linking several metropolitan organizations.
Sejong City plans to review the research results and initially focus on building a transportation demand-type (connecting Yeouido-Sejong Government Complex-Sejong National Assembly Building) and a medical-type urban air transportation network to transport emergency patients.
In the mid- to long-term, the plan is to build a W-shaped tourist-type urban air transportation network connecting major tourist attractions in the Chungcheong region, such as Anmyeondo Island - Gongju Gongsanseong Fortress - Sejong National Arboretum - Daejeon Hanbat Arboretum - Songnisan National Park - Danyang.
To this end, the four cities and provinces in the Chungcheong region are responsible for ▲securing UAM operation sites, etc. ▲administrative support for project promotion such as licensing, ▲securing community acceptance, and ▲connection with ground mobility.
The K-UAM Dream Team Consortium, centered on private companies, takes the lead in creating a UAM ecosystem in the Chungcheong area, including ▲establishing various services and infrastructure necessary for UAM business promotion and commercialization ▲human resource training and operation in the Chungcheong area.
The city expects that the signing of this agreement will serve as an opportunity for the Chungcheong region, including Sejong, to realize the Yoon Seok-yeol government's UAM commercialization strategy and establish itself as an outpost to foster related industries.
Mayor Choi Min-ho said, “This agreement will be the first step in establishing an ultra-wide urban air transportation network in the Chungcheong region for the first time in the country and fostering related industries.” He added, “By connecting skyways following land transportation such as the construction of a metropolitan railway in the Chungcheong region, we will create a mega city in the Chungcheong region. “It is the driving force that moves us forward,” he said.