LG U+ to Establish UAM Integrated Transfer Center with Seoul Metro Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] LG Uplus announced on the 15th that it has signed a business agreement with Seoul Metro to establish an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) integrated transfer center and cooperate for the early commercialization of UAM.

UAM refers to a future-type air taxi that maximizes mobility efficiency within the city by utilizing a three-dimensional aerial transportation system in urban areas.

It is planned to be operated for passenger or cargo transport in combination with electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) capable Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs).

Through this business agreement, the two companies plan to build a future-oriented UAM integrated transfer center by utilizing subway transportation infrastructure and cooperate for the early commercialization of UAM.

To this end, Seoul Metro will support administrative matters such as systems for introducing the integrated transfer center and vertiport (V vertical takeoff and landing airfield) infrastructure, while LG Uplus will develop a traffic management system for route operation and conduct demonstrations of various UAM communication technologies.

The integrated transfer center is being planned to be introduced around subway stations with high traffic such as Samseong Station, Suseo Station, and Guro Digital Complex, where subway, GTX, and bus passengers converge. Currently, Seoul Metro operates 275 stations on urban rail lines 1 to 8.

Along with demonstrations related to the introduction of the integrated transfer center, the two companies will jointly conduct preliminary studies on flight environment factors such as UAM feasibility, technology safety, local residents' acceptance, weather conditions along flight routes, and environmental obstacles.

In May last year, LG Uplus formed a consortium with companies possessing expertise in various fields such as Kakao Mobility and GS Construction and is participating in the 'K-UAM Grand Challenge' demonstration project hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In July, it also signed an MOU with Busan City to create a UAM ecosystem, aiming to secure a nationwide lead in UAM business.

Jeon Young-seo, Head of LG Uplus Enterprise Service Development Lab, said, "We expect cooperation with Seoul Metro to play an important role in successfully carrying out the government-led UAM demonstration project and creating the initial market," adding, "We will continue to cooperate with consortium members to build a safe and user-friendly future transportation infrastructure."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.