S.Korea's UAM group to develop tourism transportation on southern coast

Urban air transportation (UAM) in South Korea will open a tourism road on the country's southern coast, which is dubbed "the nation's Mediterranean Sea."

The K-UAM Dream Team Consortium comprising SK Telecom Co., Korea Airports Corp. (KAC), Hanwha Systems Co. and Tmap Mobility on Tuesday said it signed a business agreement with South Gyeongsang Province to promote tourism UAM on the southern coast.

Using electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) that requires no runway at a city center, UAM is an eco-friendly mode of transportation linkable to a host of land transportation methods.

The consortium will apply a UAM-based transit system and business model to a government project to promote tourism in the region to support policy actions at the private level and create a UAM industrial base and ecosystem on the southern coast.

To promote the project, SK Telecom will run a comprehensive UAM service based on artificial intelligence, build an aerial communications network and supervise aircraft with American eVTOL company Joby Aviation.

The KAC will set up UAM vertiports related to this tourism belt and offer UAM traffic management services.

Hanwha Systems will develop, run, manufacture and perform maintenance, repair and operations for UAM aircraft and supply solutions and services for UAM traffic management optimized for the topography and coastline of tourist lines. Tmap Mobility will develop and run a platform for mobility as a service connecting UAM and ground transportation.

South Gyeongsang will provide UAM operating sites, infrastructure, permits and administrative support.

The province's southern coast is rich in marine tourism resources like Hallyeohaesang National Park, 876 islands and 27 beaches but talk of air tourism is constant.

Under their agreement, the consortium and South Gyeongsang expect to develop high value-added tourism that integrates the natural environment and future-oriented aviation services. The emergence of the southern coast as a global tourist destination is expected to stimulate the provincial economy.

The partnership with South Gyeongsang follows similar deals concluded last year with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in September and Daegu Metropolitan City in October. The central government from 2025 is expected to speed up commercialization of UAM.

"Through UAM cooperation with South Gyeongsang Province, we will contribute to stimulating the economy of the southern coastal region and creating a foundation for the UAM industry," SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang said.

"SK Telecom will lead the development of safe and convenient UAM services in cooperation with top-class domestic and foreign partners like Korea Airports Corp., Hanwha Systems and Joby Aviation."

Write to Seung-Woo Lee at leeswoo@hankyung.com