Seoul to triple late-night autonomous taxis in Gangnam

SEOUL – Seoul will increase the number of late-night autonomous taxis operating in southern Seoul from seven to 19 starting on Aug 20 and plans to gradually introduce vehicles without a safety operator in the driver’s seat.

SWM and Kakao Mobility, the two operators of the Gangnam service, will expand their fleets from five to 13 vehicles and from two to six, respectively.

Gangnam-gu is the only district in Seoul currently operating an autonomous taxi service, which was launched in 2024. A total of 15,140 rides were recorded between Sept 26, 2024, and July 31, 2026, according to the city.

Seoul plans to expand autonomous taxi operation to all roads within the Gangnam service area, including school zones and other areas designated for the protection of vulnerable road users, following a regulatory revision in January that removed the requirement for autonomous vehicles to be manually driven through certain restricted zones.

The taxis can be hailed through the Kakao T app within the designated operating area in Gangnam. After entering eligible pickup and destination points, users can select “Seoul Autonomous Car” from the taxi menu.

Starting in November, Level 4 autonomous vehicles will begin operating in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. Under designated conditions, Level 4 vehicles can perform all driving tasks without human intervention.

“It will be the first service of its kind in Korea, and we are currently recruiting an operator. We plan to make the taxis available for passengers to hail starting in November,” Lee Soo-jin, director of the city’s Futuristic Advanced Transportation Division, told The Korea Herald.

“Initially, a safety operator will likely sit in the front passenger seat because some passengers may feel uneasy. Once people become more familiar with the service, we will consider operating the vehicles without any staff on board, depending on the public response.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK