"This month laid the groundwork for Korea's rise to global hub status through urban, transportation, and aviation infrastructure."
With the exclusive partnership between Korean Air and Archer for eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft),
the Korean UAM/AAM roadmap has entered the actual global business and investment stage , and Archer Investors
The first vice minister of the Ministry of Land , Infrastructure and Transport held a Korea-Vietnam infrastructure, urban and railway cooperation meeting , which opened a structure for full-scale export
of Korean urban, railway and smart city packages to key markets in Southeast Asia , and SMART CITY KOREA
The "Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure" clause of the Gyeongju Declaration adopted at the APEC 2025 Gyeongju Summit has become the international normative foundation
directly linked to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's overseas infrastructure, smart city, and transportation ODA strategies .
1. eVTOL/UAM: What the Korean Air-Archer Deal Means
On October 20 , Korean Air signed an exclusive partnership with Archer Aviation of the U.S. for eVTOLs
in Korea and the purchase of up to 100 'Midnight' aircraft . Archer Investors
The press release stated that it “supports the Korean government’s urban air mobility (UAM) roadmap and contributes to making Korea an Asian Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) hub.”
This contract is not a simple airline-manufacturer deal, but a signal to the market that the K-UAM roadmap
promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has entered the international partnership stage .
From the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's perspective
▸ Beyond “UAM is a transportation innovation” ▸ A new infrastructure axis
that changes “urban structure, industrial location, tourism, MICE, and regional balanced development”
“The introduction of eVTOL is not just a sky taxi for the wealthy , but an urban infrastructure strategy
that will innovate travel between airports and downtown areas and between downtown areas and new cities, thereby
boosting the local economy, tourism, and logistics .”
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will proactively establish aviation safety, noise, and airspace management standards to ensure
Korea becomes a leader in UAM standards and demonstrations .
2. Infrastructure Cooperation between Vietnam and Southeast Asia – Full-scale Export of Korean-Style Cities, Railways, and Smart Cities
On October 20, Hanoi,
Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Construction and South Korea's First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Lee Sang-kyung) met and agreed to
strengthen cooperation in urban development, infrastructure, railways, and aviation .
The Smart City Platform under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (jointly operated by the Ministry, the Korea Research Institute for Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Korea Land and Housing Corporation) is promoting projects that apply the Korean smart city model, such as
the "Southeast New City" pilot project in Bac Ninh Province
. SMART CITY KOREA
K-City Network Smart Solution Demo Project
The Ministry of Land , Infrastructure and Transport is soliciting and supporting demonstration projects in
which overseas cities can actually introduce and operate Korean solutions (smart transportation, public transportation, CCTV, environment, energy, etc.) through the ' K-City Network - Smart Solution
Demonstration Project'.
Korea-Vietnam cooperation and K-City Network
A shift from a model where Korean construction companies simply build buildings to a model where they export
urban planning, transportation systems, ITS, and smart city platforms as a package .
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Expanding overseas orders in the urban and transportation sectors ,
Accumulation of overseas references by domestic smart city and ITS companies ,
It can be linked to strengthening of city diplomacy and international cooperation between local governments .
3. APEC 2025 Gyeongju Declaration – A Forum for Infrastructure and Connectivity Norms
The "APEC Leaders' Gyeongju Declaration," adopted at the APEC Summit in Gyeongju from October 31 to November 1, declared connectivity, innovation, and prosperity as the three pillars of
"Building a Sustainable Tomorrow."
The declaration states
“High-quality infrastructure development and sustainable urban and transportation investment ”
"Connectivity infrastructure supporting digital and green transition" is included as a key element. APEC
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is promoting
Overseas road, railway, port, and airport projects,
Smart City and Transportation ODA,
This is an opportunity to explain ITS, autonomous driving, UAM demonstration, and export policies
in connection with multilateral norms such as APEC and ASEAN .
especially,
APEC CEO Summit ,
Through the ASEAN-Korea Standards Cooperation Network (Smart City/ITS Workshop, held in early November)
, Korea is sharing and disseminating its ITS and smart mobility standards with ASEAN countries. ITS International Cooperation Center
1. United States
Through the Korean Air-Archer deal
Combining US eVTOL technology with Korea's UAM roadmap → Securing Asia's first large-scale reference . Archer Investors
In the field of infrastructure and smart cities
A structure is forming where Korean companies
compete and cooperate with US, Japanese, and Chinese companies in infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia and the Middle East . VnEconomy
In the fields of UAM, smart cities, and infrastructure,
Korea is
a partner that collaborates with U.S. technology and capital to enter third-country markets (Southeast Asia, the Middle East, etc. )
“Korea’s land, transportation, and standards are being revised to
be compatible with U.S. and international standards .”
2. Vietnam and ASEAN
The urban development, railway, airport, and smart city cooperation discussed at the Korea-Vietnam summit
are core to Vietnam's "national modernization project." SMART CITY KOREA
Through the K-City Network and ITS Standards Cooperation Workshop,
nine ASEAN countries are testing
the applicability of Korea's transportation and smart city technologies to their own cities .
“Korea is not a construction country that just builds and leaves , but a long-term partner
that designs and operates cities and transportation together .”
“Korea’s smart city, ITS, and public transportation systems can provide practical assistance in
solving urbanization, traffic congestion, and environmental problems in ASEAN countries .”
3. Infrastructure competitors such as the EU, Japan, and Singapore
The EU, Japan, and Singapore already have a strong presence in the Southeast Asian, Central Asian, and African markets through
ODA, infrastructure finance, and smart city strategies .
It remains to be seen whether Korea
will emerge as a mid-sized infrastructure exporter, spearheaded by its eVTOL, smart city, railway, port, and airport package . SMART CITY KOREA
"Korea differentiates itself through sophisticated urban and transportation solutions and digital technologies, rather than through sheer scale."
Emphasize the image of “partners who can explore joint projects, joint standards, and joint financial structures, rather than competition .”
4. International organizations and development banks (ADB, WB, AIIB, etc.)
How actively has Korea participated in and proposed
connectivity, sustainable infrastructure, and digital transportation projects since the APEC Gyeongju Declaration ?
"Korea is a country that can propose an integrated infrastructure package that encompasses not only roads and railways, but also
smart transportation, ITS, UAM, urban regeneration, and disaster safety ."
5. Domestic local governments, companies, people with immigrant backgrounds, and foreign residents
Local government:
What investment and exchange opportunities does the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's overseas infrastructure and smart city cooperation bring
to our region (e.g., port cities, airport cities, and tourist cities) ?
Domestic companies:
How can companies in the UAM, smart city, railway, construction, and transportation sectors participate in overseas demonstrations and contracts ?
Immigration background/foreign residents:
Interest in expanding connectivity, investment, and tourism routes between the country and Korean cities
"The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's international cooperation
is not just about Seoul, Busan, and Incheon.
It's about Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan, regional airports, and port cities ."
UAM, smart cities, and transportation innovation simultaneously aim to achieve three goals:
domestic transportation convenience, international opportunities, and regional economic revitalization .
1) Korean perspective
"The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's international cooperation
goes beyond simply building roads, railways, and airports. It's a strategy to share
'Korean infrastructure solutions'—urban, transportation, smart cities, and UAM—
with the world and make Korea a global hub."
2) National interest perspective
The US, Vietnam, ASEAN, the EU, international organizations, local governments, and businesses
are all paying close attention to Korea's infrastructure, aviation, and urban policies. Rather than listing individual projects of the Ministry of Land , Infrastructure, and Transport,
the Office of the President for International Cooperation and Policy Communication briefings should consistently present a unified national strategy of 'connectivity, smart cities, UAM, and sustainable infrastructure.'
