Travel
Busan launches late-night self-driving bus trial on Naeseong to Jungdong BRT route
haps Magazine Korea
January 26, 2026
Late-night self-driving bus (Photo courtesy of City of Busan)
Busan has begun a late-night self-driving bus passenger service on the Naeseong to Jungdong BRT corridor, starting January 26.
The service will run as a pilot program through June 30, operating on weeknights from 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. The route connects Dongnae Station and the Naeseong Intersection to the Haeundae District Office Entrance Intersection, covering about 10.4 km.
During the trial period, rides will be free of charge, though the city says standard city bus fares may apply if the service moves into full operation later. It will not run on the first Friday of each month for maintenance checks.
To prioritize safety, the bus will not allow standing passengers and will carry up to 15 riders per trip, with seatbelts required. A safety officer will also ride onboard to assist passengers and respond to unexpected situations.
Busan plans to use data collected during the pilot to improve service quality and explore possible future expansions in both operating hours and routes.
The launch follows a two-month test run from November 3, 2025 to January 23, 2026, which the city says confirmed the system’s stability and road safety performance.