Starting next year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will conduct operational tests over Yeouido and the Han River to evaluate the safety of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) systems.
By 2030, with a comprehensive network of UAM routes in place, the 25-kilometer journey from Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province to Gwanghwamun Station in Seoul, which currently takes an hour by car, will be reduced to approximately 15 minutes.
Seoul expects that the reduced travel time will generate an economic impact of 2.2 trillion won annually.
On November 11, the Mayor of Seoul unveiled the “Seoul UAM Vision” at the "Conference on UAM, AI, and Quantum Technology Cooperation" held at City Hall.
The mayor stated, “We aim to transform Seoul into a global, three-dimensional transportation city through UAM,” adding that Seoul, a megacity with 10 million residents, already faces saturation in both ground and underground transportation networks.
The mayor also emphasized the city’s commitment to providing safe, environmentally friendly transportation options.
The UAM routes will expand in four phases: "Demonstration," "Initial Deployment," "Growth," and "Maturity."
In the Demonstration phase next year, safety tests will be conducted on two routes: “KINTEX–Gimpo Airport–Yeouido Park” and “Jamsil–Suseo Station.”
The Initial Commercialization phase (2026–2030) will see the start of UAM passenger services, with routes connecting along the Han River from “Gimpo Airport–Yeouido–Jamsil–Suseo.”
In the Growth phase (2030–2035), the UAM network will expand to cover the Han River and four tributaries: Anyangcheon, Jungnangcheon, Hongjecheon, and Tancheon, establishing a metropolitan-wide route system connecting Seoul and the surrounding areas. At this stage, new vertiports will be added in key hubs such as Sangam, Gasan, Gwanghwamun, Wangsimni, and Sangbong.
Finally, in the Maturity phase (from 2035 onward), the main UAM routes will connect high-demand areas including Sindorim, Gangnam, Suyu, and Mapo.
Seoul is also planning to build vertiports to support UAM operations, initially installing them at four strategic locations—Yeouido, Suseo, Jamsil, and Gimpo Airport—by 2030. Around 30 additional sites, chosen for ease of transfer to other transportation options, are being considered as future vertiport locations.
From 2030 onward, the UAM network is expected to dramatically reduce travel times within the Seoul metropolitan area. For instance, the 25-kilometer route from Pangyo to Gwanghwamun Station will take only 15 minutes by UAM, compared to the current hour via public transport.
Additionally, the travel time from Jamsil to Incheon Airport is projected to decrease from 80 minutes to just 25 minutes.
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