SK Telecom leads efforts for urban air mobility in Korea

SK Telecom, Korea’s top mobile carrier, formed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city governments of Sejong, Daejeon and the Chungcheong region, which will become the test bed for the urban air mobility vehicles to operate.

From left, T Map Mobility CEO Lee Jong-ho, SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang, Kim Tae-heum, the governor of South Chungcheong, Choi Min-ho, mayor of Sejong City, Lee Jang-woo, mayor of Daejeon, Kim Young-hwan, the governor of North Chungcheong, Hanwha Systems CEO Uh Seong-cheol, Kim Gong-deok, the head of Cheongju International Airport, pose for the photo after a signing ceremony to commercialize urban air mobility at Sejong government hall on Wednesday. [SK TELECOM]

SK Telecom, Korea’s top mobile carrier, formed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city governments of Sejong, Daejeon and the Chungcheong region, which will become the test bed for the urban air mobility vehicles to operate.

The regions will collaborate with the telecom company to provide administrative efforts such as attaining construction permits to build urban air mobility (UAM) infrastructures.

The vehicles will be utilized in public sectors such as for medical, freight transportation and tourism purposes.

SK Telecom is part of the K-UAM Grand Challenge, a UAM commercialization road map launched by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in February 2023. The initiative aims to deploy UAM by 2025, to reduce street traffic and in line with the global demand to popularize carbon-free vehicles.

SK Telecom, Korea Airports Corporation, Hanwha Systems, T Map Mobility and U.S.-based UAM company Joby Aviation are part of the initiative.

The telecom company will oversee AI-powered UAM networks and services. Korea Airports Corporation will control the traffic and manage vertiports (aircraft vertical takeoff and landing terminal). T Map Mobility will develop and operate a mobility-as-a-service (Maas) platform.

In June, SK telecom invested $100 million in Joby Aviation to exclusively utilize Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The aircraft will be brought into Korea for test flights next year.

“UAM is receiving attention as the next form of mobility that can resolve traffic congestions and connect regions,” said SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang in a statement. “SK Telecom will open the era for metropolitan UAM based on its UAM services and AI technologies.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]