Global autonomous driving companies are successively pushing to enter the Korean market, turning the domestic autonomous driving sector into an intensely competitive battleground. In response to the foreign offensive backed by massive capital and technological capabilities, Korean companies are also moving to strengthen their competitiveness.

Kakao Mobility stated on the 22nd that it is going beyond the development of proprietary driving technology and an integrated platform to reinforce cooperation with leading domestic companies in manufacturing, components, and technology. The company explained that it has recently signed strategic memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with a range of firms including Kia and LG Innotek, significantly expanding the scope of collaboration. With Kia, it is cooperating on the development and supply of Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs) for autonomous driving services. With LG Innotek, it is carrying out technology and research cooperation related to large-scale real-world driving data, which is core to advancing autonomous driving technology.

Through such a “technology alliance,” Kakao Mobility expects strong synergies from building a robust ecosystem that enables collaboration among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), sensor and parts suppliers, and software companies. In this context, at the recently held “2026 Global Mobility Conference,” Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, delivered a keynote speech, stressing that “the core of autonomous driving is commercialization tailored to urban environments, and technology, manufacturing, the public sector, and academia must work together to build the ecosystem.”

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