MARS AUTO Launches Autonomous Trailer Operations at Busan Port, Targeting Full Driverless by 2028 South Korean autonomous trucking startup MARS AUTO will begin paid autonomous transport services for large freight trailers traveling to and from Busan Port starting in the third quarter of this year. This marks the first commercial application of autonomous driving technology in South Korea's export container logistics. Building on this foundation, MARS AUTO plans to pursue fully driverless long-haul freight transport connecting South Korea and the United States. MARS AUTO held a press conference in Seoul's Gangnam district on the 1st to officially announce its business plans. CEO Park Il-soo and Vice President Noh Je-kyung attended the event and unveiled the next-generation Level 4 autonomous driving AI model "MarsNet 3" alongside the subscription-based Level 2 autonomous driving service "Copilot." The company has already secured a mobility regulatory sandbox from South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and passed the safety evaluation conducted by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. Accordingly, it plans to deploy autonomous trucks modified from Hyundai Motor's heavy-duty "Xcient" model on logistics routes for three initial client companies. Vice President Noh explained, "We will start with three vehicles and expand to ten within the year," adding, "Depending on the client, the structure will involve five to six trips per week." Approximately 80% of these routes share a common trunk line, making future expansion into an "export cargo autonomous driving network" centered on Busan Port relatively straightforward. Busan Port is a critical hub handling over 60% of South Korea's ocean-going export cargo volume. Trailers are responsible for more than 95% of domestic export container logistics, with the related market valued at approximately 5 trillion won (approximately $3.2 billion). MARS AUTO presented a "Team Korea" logistics model: cargo is transported autonomously from factories and logistics