LH Accelerates Development of Sejong National Pilot City for 'Korean-Style Smart City'

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) is accelerating the Sejong National Pilot City project, developed as a Korean-style smart city. This area will be developed into a cutting-edge smart city equipped with various future technologies such as autonomous shuttles and unmanned delivery systems. It will also provide innovative services in education, culture, and employment.

On the 23rd, LH announced that it had selected a preferred private sector negotiator to participate in the public-private joint special purpose company (SPC) for the Sejong National Pilot City and will officially push forward the Korean-style smart city development project. The Sejong National Pilot City is the representative model of a Korean-style smart city being built in the 5-1 residential zone of the Administrative City Complex. The goal is to create a city as a platform where various future technologies and services of the 4th Industrial Revolution are realized.

Once development is complete, LH explained that citizens will experience various advanced services never seen in existing cities. Citizens will be able to conveniently move inside and outside the city through autonomous shuttles, personal mobility devices, shared cars, and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Along with this, by activating unmanned delivery using state-of-the-art robots, the number of vehicles will be reduced to about one-third compared to existing cities, realizing a low-carbon and eco-friendly city.

LH also plans to introduce a data-based smart city operation system to support the creation of an innovative industrial ecosystem in Sejong City. LH stated, "Over the next 15 years, we will provide solutions to urban problems and offer seven major innovative services including mobility, healthcare, education, energy and environment, governance, culture and shopping, and employment."

In April, LH conducted a public contest for private sector operators to cooperate with the private sector at all stages from planning to operation of the Sejong National Pilot City, and recently selected the 'Sejong O1 Consortium,' led by LG CNS, as the preferred negotiator. Next year, an SPC involving LH, Sejong City, and private companies will be established to carry out the project. By the end of next year, the 'Smart First Town,' a testbed for smart city technologies, will open to begin service verification.

The innovative technologies verified through demonstration will be expanded and applied to development projects and urban regeneration projects nationwide conducted by LH. Through this, LH expects to establish a virtuous cycle ecosystem where companies with innovative technologies gather and grow together in the Sejong National Pilot City, becoming a platform for realizing the Korean New Deal.

Lim Donghee, head of LH's Sejong Special Headquarters, emphasized, "We plan to develop the Sejong National Pilot City into a sustainable platform that enhances citizens' happiness and provides creative opportunities," adding, "LH will continue to do its best to implement a leading model of smart cities."