Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it has approved the country’s first paid autonomous freight service, granting a permit to RideFlux in a move that marks a step toward commercial deployment of self-driving technology.
RideFlux plans to begin operations in June on a roughly 70-mile route linking a logistics complex in Seoul’s Songpa district with a major parcel hub in Jincheon, along the Jungbu Expressway. The autonomous truck will operate at speeds of up to 56 miles per hour.
The service will use a single 25-ton truck built by Tata Daewoo Mobility. It will run three times a week on weekdays during off-peak hours, from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., when traffic is lighter.
RideFlux said it will launch the service after finalizing a paid transport agreement with its logistics partner, Lotte Global Logistics.
The company plans to expand the service to other cities, including Jeonju, Gangneung and Daegu, later this year.
The rollout will follow a phased safety approach. Initially, a safety driver will remain in the driver’s seat. Beginning next year, the driver will move to the passenger seat, with the goal of transitioning to fully unmanned operations in a later stage.
A senior transport ministry official said the approval could accelerate commercialization of autonomous technology in logistics. The ministry added it will continue to support the development of domestic self-driving capabilities in both passenger and freight transport.
