The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute will select 15 regions as demonstration cities in 2023 to accelerate the commercialization of drone delivery.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Aviation Safety Technology Institute announced on the 17th that they had selected 15 local governments through a drone demonstration city contest. These include Seoul Metropolitan City, Incheon Metropolitan City, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province, Yeongwol County in Gangwon Province, Eumseong County in Chungcheongbuk Province, Seosan City in Chungcheongnam Province, Taean County, Jeonju City in Jeollabuk Province, Namwon City, Goheung County in Jeollanam Province, Yeosu City, Gimcheon City in Gyeongsangbuk Province, and Changwon Special City in Gyeongsangnam Province.

Local governments selected through the 'Drone Demonstration City Competition', which was held from January 20 to February 28 and in which around 40 local governments applied, will receive up to 1.4 billion won in support per region. This year, the number of demonstration cities and the support budget amount to 14 billion won in 15 places.

In 2023, ‘drone delivery business’ and ‘transportation of heavy cargo weighing over 50 kg’ were selected as priority tasks. In the future, it will be expanded to include the participation of the distribution industry, and will be commercialized as a paid service not only in islands and mountainous areas, but also in urban areas.

■ Drone demonstration city and major projects

Seoul, Incheon, and Ulsan are promoting projects to build a social safety system using drones. Seoul will use drones to monitor the danger zone of the Han River and build a digital twin-based tourism service and drone simulator for citizen experience.

Incheon Metropolitan City will conduct a demonstration of transporting equipment and supplies necessary for maritime rescue by modifying a large drone capable of transporting a 100 kg load, and will also utilize drones to monitor the atmospheric and marine environment. Ulsan Metropolitan City will focus on delivering 50 kg of nuclear power plant protective gear, and participating companies such as SKT and Freenew will build a disaster safety AI control system.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will begin the nation's first paid drone delivery service in the second half of the year, targeting approximately 130 households on Gapado Island. We will prioritize the establishment of takeoff and landing pad infrastructure and the establishment of a drone control system.

Namwon City was also selected for the development and demonstration project of an advanced drone sports system to be promoted in October in conjunction with the FAI (Federation Internationale de l'Air Sports) Drone Racing World Championships to promote drone sports.

In addition, Seongnam City and Taean County will provide paid services in central parks and tourist destinations in cooperation with convenience stores, while Yeongwol County, Eumseong County, and Jeonju City will use drones to test delivery services in mountainous areas, and Seosan City, Goheung County, and Changwon Special City will use drones to test delivery services in island areas.
In particular, Yeosu City in Jeollanam-do is focusing on building delivery infrastructure such as logistics ports, establishing a pilot operation route for downtown logistics delivery, and establishing a control system. Marine Drone Technology, which has developed 'Naraon' to connect ships and local businesses at sea and support drone delivery services, is participating in this.

Marine drone technology will also be participated by 'Skyports Drone Service Korea', which was established together with UK's Skyports at the '2023 Drone Show Korea'. Marine Drone Technology expressed its ambition, saying, “We will demonstrate Marine Drone Technology’s drone delivery platform operation strategy and Skyports’ AAM infrastructure and drone service capabilities in Yeosu.”

Kim Young-guk, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Aviation Policy Director, emphasized, “This year is the first year of K-drone delivery, when we will establish a drone delivery system such as a drone identification system and drone flight path and begin full-scale commercialization. We will develop it into a sustainable business by increasing safety and efficiency.” He also requested, “Close cooperation among the government, local governments, drone industry, delivery and distribution companies, academia, and related organizations for the successful promotion of K-drone delivery.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, together with local governments and the Korea Aviation Safety Technology Institute, signed the '2023 Drone Test City Agreement' in Sejong City on March 28, and plans to actively promote projects selected this year so that citizens can enjoy greater convenience while also improving safety levels through the use of drones.