Kakao Mobility and Korea Expressway Corp will cooperate to launch a service linking real-time highway accident information with private navigation apps. Korea Expressway Corp said on Sunday it will provide the "National Traffic Safety Link Service" jointly with Kakao Navi from July 24. The measure comes ahead of the special traffic management period for the summer holiday season from July 25 to Aug. 10.

The service will combine the operator's highway traffic safety information with Kakao Navi user data to deliver real-time alerts on sudden incidents ahead to drivers behind. When Kakao Navi detects information on a user's stopped vehicle, it will immediately relay it to the operator. After confirming whether it is an accident, the operator will send analysis back to Kakao Navi, which will then guide vehicles approaching the relevant section.

The operator has so far identified sudden incidents using its own infrastructure such as CCTV. With the service, stopped-vehicle data from Kakao Navi users will be added to the existing infrastructure, expanding both the speed of accident recognition and the detection range. The operator also plans to provide Kakao Navi with information on opening and closing Hi-Pass lanes and on whether shoulder reversible lanes can be used.

From 2027, it will gradually expand the scope of the service. It will add an SOS function that connects Kakao Navi users to a nearby operator situation room with a single touch, and provide information on using reversible lanes in tunnels. The operator plans to work with major navigation services including Naver and T Map to expand the provision of safety information.

Kwak Hyun-joon (곽현준), head of traffic at Korea Expressway Corp, said information on stopped vehicles that could previously have been simply discarded has been reborn as important data that improves public safety through public-private cooperation. He said the operator will continue to identify a range of safety services so the public can use expressways safely.