Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Achieves $34 Million in Export Consultations at ADF

Korean drones have achieved success in the African drone market, laying the foundation for overseas expansion.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it achieved $34 million in export consultation results by participating in the Africa Drone Forum (ADF) held in Kigali, Rwanda, from the 5th to the 7th.

Ten domestic drone companies and a joint public-private delegation participated in ADF, operating a special South Korea pavilion and 10 drone company exhibition halls, and promoting the drone regulatory sandbox (deferral system) project and drone policies.
Korea achieved results such as $34 million (over 110 cases) in export consultations and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a local African company through consultations with buyers from 20 countries in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport expects that this will lead to export contracts worth more than $3.8 million.

Africa, a country with poor road and transportation infrastructure relative to its vast land area, is already utilizing drones to deliver emergency relief supplies such as blood and medicine. It is attracting attention as a potential site for a massive drone market in the future, as drones are utilized for land surveying, mapmaking, and safety inspections.

Kim Yi-tak, Director General of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, “The global drone market, which was only $18 billion last year, is expected to grow to $43 billion by 2024,” adding, “We plan to provide multifaceted support to help our competitive companies enter the global stage, which has high growth potential.”

Meanwhile, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, along with the Minister of Construction and the Minister of Information and Communications, attended the event and showed interest.