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LG scores approval to test self-driving cars 

By Shin Ji-hye

LG Electronics is ready to compete against its rival Samsung Electronics in developing self-driving cars.

The tech giant told The Korea Herald on Wednesday it was recently granted permission to test autonomous cars on public roads in the nation.

“We received the approval to test self-driving from the government on July 7 after applying for permission in May,” a LG official said.

LG plans to develop its autonomous automobiles with Hyundai Motor‘s luxury vehicle Genesis by applying its own sensors and self-driving system.  

The latest move is part of the firm’s wider advances into a growing vehicle component business amid slowing smartphone sales.

LG’s vehicle component unit, which was set up in July 2013, has been producing car components including drive motors, inverters and battery packs. It has supplied 11 key components to the GM Bolt EV since the fourth quarter of last year in the North American market.

Apart from LG, nine organizations, including Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Mando, Seoul National University, Hanyang University, KAIST, Naver, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom were granted permission to test self-driving cars on public roads this year alone.

By Shin Ji-hye Shin (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)