Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport - Ministry of National Defense, MOU on 'Drone and Urban Air Mobility Development Cooperation'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of National Defense announced on the 27th that they have agreed to mutually cooperate for the development of the drone and urban air mobility industry and the cultivation of a science and technology-strong military.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, recognizing the necessity of cooperation in civil-military technology development and exchange, market activation, participation in testing and demonstration, and joint use of airspace and infrastructure for the advancement of the future aviation industry, signed a memorandum of understanding attended by Eo Myung-so, 2nd Vice Minister of MOLIT, and Shin Beom-cheol, Vice Minister of National Defense.

First, the two ministries agreed to mutually cooperate to secure growth momentum for the domestic urban air mobility and drone industries and to expand public acceptance.

They also agreed to cooperate on policy establishment, airspace use, and demand creation for the development and advancement of urban air mobility, K-Drone systems, defense transport drones, and integrated control systems.

Furthermore, they will cooperate in utilizing infrastructure such as drone-exclusive flight test sites, certification, and education facilities, and collaborate on participation in demonstration projects and technology exchange involving new technologies applied to urban air mobility and drones, including artificial intelligence and digital twins.

Based on this memorandum of understanding, MOLIT and the Ministry of National Defense plan to establish practical cooperation systems by signing field-specific working agreements as needed for efficient collaboration between the two agencies and by jointly hosting seminars.

Additionally, they judge that the core technology development fields for the continuous advancement of the domestic drone industry and the commercialization of Korean-style urban air mobility by 2025 will be beneficial for drone development in the defense sector, with the Ministry of National Defense, as the largest demand source, playing a key role in the initial market activation.