Patient Transfer Time Reduced from 90 to 15 Minutes... LGU+ Innovates Emergency Medical Care with AAM

LG Uplus announced on the 8th that it has signed a business agreement with Jinju City, Gyeongsang National University, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), GS Construction, and GS Caltex to establish a Korean-style Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry ecosystem.

AAM is a broad concept that includes regional air mobility (RAM) alongside urban air mobility (UAM), which is the existing aviation transport ecosystem utilizing a three-dimensional aerial traffic system. The global market research firm Precedence Research forecasts that the worldwide AAM market will grow approximately fivefold from $8.93 billion (about 11.6894 trillion KRW) in 2022 to $45.12 billion (about 59.0621 trillion KRW) by 2030, marking it as a new growth engine for major domestic and international companies.

(From left) Kim Ji-hong, Executive Director of Korea Aerospace Industries, Ahn Sung-ki, Director of Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Kwon Soon-gi, President of Gyeongsang National University, Cho Gyu-il, Mayor of Jinju, Heo Yoon-hong, President of GS Construction, Lee Sang-yeop, CTO of LG Uplus, and Park Sang-hoon, Managing Director of GS Caltex, are signing a business agreement and taking a commemorative photo.
[Photo by LG Uplus]

Through this business agreement, the consortium plans to mutually cooperate to create a Korean-style AAM industry ecosystem by establishing a pilot city project for emergency medical services (EMS) using medical facilities as a base in Jinju City and verifying the operational system through the construction of an Advanced Air Vehicle (AAV) demonstration center.

First, the consortium intends to establish a high-quality medical service infrastructure capable of effectively responding to EMS demands in the southern coastal region through Gyeongsang National University Hospital, the only university hospital located in Gyeongsangnam-do, by utilizing AAM.

In fact, EMS demand in the Gyeongsang region, including Changwon, Tongyeong, and Yeosu, increased by about 20%, from 356 cases in 2020 to 422 cases in 2021. Similar demands continue to arise in remote mountainous areas such as Uisin Village in Hadong County and Macheon-myeon in Hamyang County. However, these areas are practically classified as EMS underserved regions because they are about 80 km away from Jinju City, the nearest city with emergency facilities.

Once AAM is commercialized, it will enable rapid response to EMS demands arising in remote mountainous areas. Traveling 80 km by car takes at least 1 hour and 30 minutes, but using AAM allows direct travel, reducing this time to within 15 minutes. This precious time, known as the "golden hour," is critical for receiving medical services in emergencies such as cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, or massive bleeding, thereby saving lives.

To verify the AAV operational system, LG Uplus will provide high-quality aerial communication-based data transmission technology and the UAM Air Traffic Management system. Jinju City will offer administrative, institutional, and financial support. Gyeongsang National University will supply specialized personnel in the UAM field. Gyeongsang National University Hospital will provide infrastructure and technical advice for the EMS pilot city project. KAI will supply the AAV aircraft, GS Construction will build and operate vertiports, and GS Caltex will establish vertiports on local gas station sites.

Since last year, LG Uplus has been developing the UATM, an intelligent platform that automates flight plan analysis and approval, traffic flow management including collision and corridor deviation prevention, and aerial communication quality control. It enables real-time communication between pilots and air traffic controllers and immediate response to emergencies, ensuring safe operation of aircraft in the airspace.

Previously, Jinju City, together with Gyeongsangnam-do, KAI, and Gyeongnam Technopark, has been promoting a project to build an "AAV Demonstration Center" within the Gasan General Industrial Complex in Ibanseong-myeon by 2025, capable of conducting research, demonstration tests, and flight tests of AAV aircraft and verifying operational systems. LG Uplus plans to link the UAM traffic management platform with the AAV Demonstration Center to demonstrate an integrated operational system.

The signing ceremony held at the K-Entrepreneurship Center in Jinju was attended by Lee Sang-yeop, CTO (Executive Vice President) of LG Uplus; Cho Gyu-il, Mayor of Jinju City; Kwon Soon-gi, President of Gyeongsang National University; Ahn Seong-gi, Director of Gyeongsang National University Hospital; Kim Ji-hong, Executive Vice President of Korea Aerospace Industries; Heo Yoon-hong, President of GS Construction; and Park Sang-hoon, Managing Director of GS Caltex.

Jeon Young-seo, Head of LG Uplus Enterprise Service Development Lab, said, “Through AAM cooperation with Jinju City, we want to contribute to improving medical services in Jinju by transporting emergency patients from remote islands and isolated areas,” adding, “Furthermore, we will continue to innovate citizens’ mobility experiences by establishing UAM service models with significant social value beyond medical services.”