You Must Report to Fly Drones in Seoul

The police emphasized that unauthorized drone flights are illegal and can be subject to legal penalties as reports of such flights have surged.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 30th, the number of unauthorized drone flight reports reached 80 in the first quarter (January to March), a fivefold increase compared to 16 cases in the same period last year. Based on last year's data, Yongsan recorded the highest number of incidents at 39, followed by ▲Yeongdeungpo (28 cases) ▲Mapo and Gangseo (7 cases) ▲Jongno (6 cases).

Currently, all areas of Seoul are designated as 'drone flight restricted zones,' and prior approval must be obtained from relevant authorities such as the Capital Defense Command and the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration through the online site 'Drone One Stop' before flying. Unauthorized flights are subject to fines of up to 3 million KRW under the Aviation Safety Act.

The police reported that the increase in 112 emergency calls related to unauthorized drone flights is causing a waste of public resources. When a 112 report of an unauthorized drone flight is received, more than 15 police and military personnel are often deployed for search operations, which frequently take a long time.

During the same period, the number of fines issued (26 cases) increased 8.7 times compared to 3 cases in the previous year. Notably, foreign visitors who entered for tourism purposes have also been fined. The number of fines issued to foreigners rose from zero to six cases.

Analysis of fines issued last year (January to December) showed that out of a total of 36 cases, 29 (80.6%) were due to unauthorized flights in no-fly zones. This was followed by ▲unauthorized airspace control (3 cases) ▲lack of certification (2 cases) ▲unauthorized night flights and violations of pilot compliance (1 case).

Gwak Chang-yong, Head of the Crisis Management and Security Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, "To raise awareness about the sharply increased unauthorized drone flights compared to last year, we plan to conduct promotional activities in cooperation with related agencies from May to August for the next three months." The promotional activities will target Seoul citizens and foreigners at 349 subway stations across Seoul and drone retail stores.