Korea Expressway Corp. partners with Kakao Navi to share real-time accident data

Korea Expressway Corporation announced Monday that it will launch a new expressway traffic safety service in partnership with Kakao Navi starting Friday, ahead of the summer vacation travel season.

The service — a public-private collaboration — merges expressway traffic safety data held by Korea Expressway Corporation with private data from Kakao Navi to deliver real-time accident alerts to drivers.

When Kakao Navi detects a stationary vehicle among its users, it immediately shares that information with Korea Expressway Corporation. The corporation then quickly assesses whether an accident has occurred and sends its analysis back to Kakao Navi, which uses it to alert drivers approaching the affected stretch about conditions ahead in real time.

Korea Expressway Corporation will also provide Kakao Navi with data on Hi-Pass lane openings and closings, as well as information on whether shoulder lanes are available for use, to improve driver convenience.

Until now, the corporation relied on its own infrastructure — including CCTV cameras — to detect incidents on expressways. The new service adds Kakao Navi users' stationary vehicle data to that existing information in real time, shortening the time it takes to identify accidents and broadening the scope of detection, which the corporation said will improve safety for expressway users.

Korea Expressway Corporation also plans to work with Kakao Mobility to continuously upgrade the service. Starting in 2027, the corporation intends to roll out additional safety features, including an SOS function that lets Kakao Navi users connect directly to a nearby operations center with a single tap, and real-time information on variable lane use inside tunnels.

The corporation also plans to extend safety information coverage beyond Kakao Navi users to drivers using other navigation services, including Naver and T-map, to protect a broader segment of the public.

"By incorporating stationary vehicle data through this public-private partnership, drivers on expressways can now receive faster and more accurate traffic safety information," said Kwak Hyeon-jun, head of Korea Expressway Corporation's traffic division. "We will continue to develop a wide range of safety services so that the public can use expressways safely."

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Expressway Corporation designate a special traffic management period each summer during the vacation season and implement measures to ease congestion.