Goheung-gun, Soaring as a Drone and UAM Demonstration City Mecca

Participating Companies Highly Interested in Excellent Aviation Infrastructure Environment

Establishing a Growth Foundation to Secure Leadership in the Future Air Vehicle Sector

The ‘1st Goheung Drone·UAM Expo,’ hosted by Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gong Young-min) and organized by the Korea Drone Industry Promotion Association, successfully concluded on the 5th.

Through this expo, Goheung-gun laid the foundation to soar as a mecca for drone and UAM demonstration cities following its achievements in space, receiving recognition for boldly announcing the vigorous development of the aviation industry during the 8th local government administration.

[Photo by Goheung-gun]

The expo was divided into the UAM zone and the drone zone and was held from November 3 to 5 under the theme “Making the Future a Reality with Goheung Drone·UAM” at the Goheung Aviation Center area.

The venue was located in an area well-equipped with Goheung’s strong aviation infrastructure, serving as a strategic base for the advanced aviation industry, which is a key future growth engine for the next 100 years in Goheung.

A total of 71 companies participated in the three-day expo, and despite the venue’s limited accessibility and it being the first event of its kind, many companies took part in large numbers.

Notably, major corporations participating in the K-UAM (Korean Urban Air Mobility) Grand Challenge consortium, including Hyundai Motor Company, Lotte, Korean Air, and SK Telecom, all exhibited outstanding content, attracting visitors’ attention and contributing to enhancing Goheung’s prestige.

At the K-UAM participant companies’ exhibition hall, UAM aircraft, VertiHub models, UAM reservation platforms, and fully autonomous vehicles stopped visitors in their tracks, while the UAM virtual reality experience drew long lines of people eager to try the facilities.

The UAM zone featured the nation’s first Vertiport and the world’s first UAM passenger terminal equipped with rapid security screening and the latest smart authentication devices. Although visitors could not get close, these attractions provided ample visual appeal for those attending the expo.

Additionally, the drone zone’s outdoor experience area at the Goheung Drone Center hosted twice-daily flight demonstrations using the SKYLA aircraft from Voltline, which incorporates over 90% domestic technology, eliciting awe from visitors and playing a significant role in showcasing corporate technological capabilities externally.

Alongside this, the drone special exhibition experience hall’s virtual reality space and outdoor drone experience activities such as Pop Drone, Drone Bowling, and Robot Coding were highly popular among both students and adults.

Moreover, the drone zone held various events including conferences and business days where visitors could meet leading domestic companies and industry experts, as well as drone demonstration events that sparked interest among visitors unfamiliar with drones.

Exhibiting companies in the drone zone also visited the Goheung-gun promotional booth, expressing admiration for Goheung’s aviation infrastructure and showing keen interest in the investment environment and related policies of Goheung-gun.

In particular, the local food pavilion prepared by the Goheung-gun Saemaul Women’s Association on the 4th floor cafeteria of the Goheung Drone Center, offering delicious and reasonably priced local dishes, and the shuttle bus service arranged for visitors’ convenience received high praise from attendees.

Furthermore, during the expo period, nationwide drone fishing and drone soccer competitions were held, and a drone show featuring 1,000 drones was performed at Nokdong Port to celebrate the expo’s opening, providing a rich array of attractions.

Governor Gong Young-min stated, “This expo was a meaningful event that solidified Goheung’s brand image as a space aviation hub by demonstrating its leap forward as a leading city in the UAM aviation industry following its achievements in space and drone industries, showcasing the region’s growth potential.”

He also added, “Although this expo was the first step this year and had some shortcomings, we will improve and enhance it next year, expand participation from overseas companies, hold seminars with domestic and international industry-academic-research stakeholders to develop it into an international expo, and broaden its functions as an industrial expo including export consultation meetings to invigorate the local economy.”

Goheung = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo hss79@asiae.co.kr