South Korea: Technology for the second-fastest 370 kph high-speed rail in the world is developed in
South Korea: According to the transport ministry on Monday, the government has finished developing the basic technologies for a next-generation high-speed train that can run at 370 kilometers per hour (kph), making it the second-fastest high-speed train in the world.
The planned train, called EMU-370, is theoretically capable of reaching a top speed of 407 kph. According to the government, it was created via a national research and development (R&D) initiative, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
The first cars will be manufactured by the government next year, and test operations will begin in 2030. Commercialization is anticipated to follow in 2031.
Following China’s CR450, which is already conducting test operations at 400 kph ahead of scheduled commercial service in 2027, the EMU-370 would rank second worldwide in terms of commercial operating speed once it is commercialized.
According to the government, major nations like France, Germany, and Japan presently run high-speed trains at speeds of around 320 kph.
The Korea Railroad Research Institute oversaw the project, which included seven governmental and private organizations and spanned from April 2022 to December 2025.
According to the ministry, a total of 22.5 billion won (US$15.23 million) was invested, including 4.5 billion won from the private sector and 18 billion won from the government.
A top senior official of the European nation stated that South Korea could be a “strategic partner” in the reconstruction of war-torn Ukraine, emphasizing Seoul’s advantages in smart mobility, high-speed rail, and green energy technologies, all of which he said will be essential to modernizing Ukraine’s infrastructure.
With over 300,000 buildings damaged or destroyed and an estimated US$78 billion needed for recovery in the transportation sector alone, Oleksii Kuleba, deputy prime minister for restoration and minister of communities and territories development, emphasized that Ukraine is facing devastation on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II.
Kuleba met with representatives of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and the Export-Import Bank of Korea during a recent working visit to Seoul to explore funding for Ukraine’s proposal to buy 20 high-speed electric trains manufactured in Korea.