Hyundai Elevator on Thursday said it will build the world's tallest elevator test tower, a 183 m-high facility near the company's R&D center building inside the main office complex in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. The company aims to begin operating the tower late this year.

If completed, the tower will be 10 m taller than the 173 m-tall elevator test tower of Mitsubishi Electric in Japan, which is currently the tallest in the world.

Hyundai broke ground for construction of the tower on Thursday. It will be installed with nine state-of-the-art elevators, including super-speed elevators that can move 1,080 m per minute. The tower will be used to conduct comfort, safety, vibration and noise tests.

"There is an increase in demand worldwide for super-speed elevators, with many super high-rise buildings being built," Hyundai Elevator said.

The company plans to enter the super-speed elevator market in earnest by finishing development of elevators that can move 600 m per minute by September this year and others that can move 1,080 m per minute next year.

(englishnews@chosun.com )