PonyLink (CEO Nam Kyung-pil, Hwang Jeong-il) is accelerating the localization development of global partner technology to optimize it for Korea's road environment, with the commercialization of autonomous driving technology in Korea reportedly within reach.

PonyLink, the domestic strategic partner of global autonomous driving technology company Pony.ai, is intensively enhancing driving perception modules specialized for Seoul's complex traffic environment. As this technology is expected to significantly improve local driving stability, Pony.ai has begun to focus on the global applicability of related data and technology.

PonyLink has formed a strategic partnership with the global autonomous driving technology company Pony.ai to develop global technology into a Korean-style autonomous driving service. Pony.ai solidified its cooperative relationship with PonyLink by contributing KRW 5 billion to PonyLink's paid-in capital increase in March last year and acquiring a 3.72% stake through additional market purchases. This collaboration centers on PonyLink receiving Pony.ai's global autonomous driving technology to create solutions optimized for Korea's traffic environment.

PonyLink is focusing its capabilities on integrating unique sensor data, such as cameras, LiDAR, and radar collected from domestic roads, with Pony.ai's technology to build artificial intelligence algorithms suited to Korea's road conditions and driving culture. This process of implementing optimized autonomous driving technology for Korean soil, based on advanced overseas technology, is considered an important step in the development of the domestic autonomous driving ecosystem.

This development direction aligns with the technology strategy mentioned during Pony.ai's second-quarter earnings conference call last August. At that time, Tiancheng Lou, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), emphasized the strong generalization ability of the Pony.ai system, stating that operational experience in complex urban environments further enhances the system's resilience. PonyLink's current development process is evaluated as a case of proving the robustness and rapid adaptability of the technology in the challenging testbed of Seoul, bringing it closer to commercialization.

Nam Kyung-pil, former governor of Gyeonggi Province, is leading PonyLink's business with a vision to expedite the commercialization of the Korean autonomous taxi market through the convergence of global technology and domestic data, contributing to the development of the future mobility industry.

Pony.ai headquarters is reportedly deeply discussing the possibility of integrating the relevant technology logic into a global platform, viewing the meaningful data and operational experience accumulated in Korea as valuable assets for future entry into other global metropolises. This is significant in that Korea's R&D capabilities are creating a virtuous cycle that practically contributes to the advancement of global autonomous driving technology. The industry expects this collaboration to be a positive model that strengthens the competitiveness of the domestic autonomous driving market in the long term, as domestic companies take the lead in developing localized technology beyond simple adoption of foreign technology.

Meanwhile, PonyLink announced that it has updated its record of 30,000 km of accident-free autonomous driving in Korea. PonyLink is currently operating nine vehicles in domestic temporary operation permit zones and plans to launch a stable taxi service through such technology testing and learning.

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