General Motors' hands-free driver assistance system "Super Cruise" is finally being introduced in Korea. GM Korea has been preparing this project for several years, and the result was officially announced on Oct. 1.
"Super Cruise" is the industry's first commercialized hands-free driver assistance system. It is already being used on real roads in North America and China. Yoon Myung-ok, executive director of GM Korea, said at a news briefing held at Oakwood Premier Coex Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 1st, "Bringing it to Korea as the third country in the world after North America and China shows how much GM values the Korean market." Hands-free is also a technology being introduced for the first time in the Korean market.
The first vehicle equipped with Super Cruise is scheduled to be released in Korea within the year. The exact model was not disclosed, only that it is a Cadillac vehicle.
Super Cruise is a driver assistance system developed by GM. Because it must perform road driving in place of a person, both cutting-edge hardware and software must be in place for it to operate on real roads.
The hardware has already been well developed.
Hardware includes cameras that recognize objects, radar and LiDAR that recognize the distance to the vehicle ahead, GPS that can determine the vehicle's position, and a monitoring system (DMS) that checks the driver's condition.
However, for such hardware to operate without issue, precise map information is essential — the process of collecting actual road conditions into digital information. The work GM Korea has carried out over the past several years is precisely the software work. It had to collect LiDAR-based map information and reflect specific features found only in Korea, such as bus-only lanes, in the data.
In this process, GM Korea said it invested 10 billion won.
Chae Myung-shin, director and head of digital business at GM Korea, said, "Super Cruise is the product of GM's cutting-edge autonomous driving technology. It is the world's first hands-free driver assistance system. In Korea, we have secured Super Cruise available-road information covering 23,000 km. On these sections, advanced Super Cruise features such as hands-free driving and automatic lane changes can be utilized."
Although the "Super Cruise available roads" were said to be 23,000 km, this network is actually limited compared with all roads in Korea. Super Cruise does not yet provide hands-free driving on "roads with traffic lights." As a result, the domestic roads where Super Cruise functions can be used are nationwide expressways and major arterial roads between cities, and other high-speed roads.
Super Cruise is GM's advanced driving technology, recording an accumulated driving distance of about 877 million km in North America (a distance equivalent to 1,141 round trips from Earth to the moon), validating its safety and reliability. It operates with an "Eyes On" method designed to have drivers keep their eyes on the road, and can be executed on roads for about 970,000 km in North America. In Korea, it has been localized to support more than 23,000 km of expressways and major arterial roads.
To launch in Korea, GM built a high-definition (HD) map optimized for local road environments. It applied LiDAR-based lane-level mapping to reflect road curvature, bus-only lanes, and construction zones, and supports stable driving under various road and weather conditions through camera, radar and GPS multi-sensor fusion technology. In addition, it operates a Korea-dedicated map over-the-air (OTA) server to periodically update maps to reflect the latest road information.
Super Cruise includes differentiated features such as automatic lane change and a driver monitoring system (DMS – Driver Monitoring System). The DMS continuously tracks the driver's forward-attention state and, when necessary, provides visual and auditory warnings and intervenes in vehicle control to maximize safety.
These advanced features go beyond simple technical progress, reducing fatigue on long drives and relieving stress while driving, leading to an innovation in customer experience. Super Cruise sets a new standard for driver assistance systems and is leading the future mobility user experience. Customers can easily use Super Cruise through a dedicated user guide and tutorials, and receive integrated support through GM customer service channels.
Chae Myung-shin, director and head of digital business at GM Korea, said, "Super Cruise sets a new standard for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and offers customers an innovative driving experience," and added, "This introduction is an important turning point in realizing GM's triple-zero vision, a case that delivers new value to Korean customers and shows the strategic importance of the Korean market, and is a significant project supported by more than 10 billion won in local direct investment."
Super Cruise will be first applied to a Cadillac model scheduled for release this year, and the possibility of applying it to other GM brands is being considered. GM plans to open a new chapter in Korea's mobility innovation by localizing and continuing investment to incorporate customer feedback, improve performance and update applicable roads.
[OSEN]