More Local Governments Join K-Drone Delivery Program
Islands and Parks to Receive Daily Necessities, Food, and Parcels by Drone
Drone Services Expand to Safety Patrols, Medical Deliveries, and Environmental Cleanup
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on July 1 that a total of 23 local governments will participate in the "K-Drone Delivery" program this year. K-Drone Delivery is a system in which flight routes, delivery hubs, and a real-time situation management system are pre-established and operated according to guidelines set by the ministry.
The program began last year, with 14 local governments participating across 50 locations, including 32 islands and 17 parks. There were 2,993 drone deliveries conducted, covering a total distance of over 10,000 kilometers. This year, 23 local governments plan to use drones to deliver daily necessities, parcels, and food to 44 islands and 122 parks.
Starting this month, drone deliveries of food, coffee, and supermarket goods will be available on nine islands, including Sapsido, Jang-godo, and Godaedo in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. Drone delivery will also become available in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, and Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, over this month and next month. In Anyang, Icheon, and Siheung in Gyeonggi Province, as well as Wonju in Gangwon Province and Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, drone delivery systems will be set up in parks, campgrounds, and water recreation areas.
A drone is displayed at the inaugural general meeting of the Drone Industry Alliance held in Seoul last May. Photo by Yonhap News
Drones are being used as tools to enhance the safety and quality of life for residents in island regions. In Yeosu, drone deliveries will be conducted on Sanghwado, Hahwado, and Jedo islands, followed by coastal drone patrols in cooperation with the Korea Coast Guard in nearby high-risk areas. Patrols using drones are also scheduled to begin at Jinha Beach in Ulju County.
In Boryeong, a system will be established to collect unused medicines by drone, transport them to Wonsando Island, and then deliver them to the local health center. In Incheon, drones will be used to collect marine debris. There has also been a case in which four people were rescued using a drone monitoring service designed to prevent mudflat accidents.
On Gapado Island in Jeju, a system will be set up to deliver sea urchin roe harvested by haenyeo (female divers) on the same day using drones. On Biyangdo Island, drones will be used to transport freshly caught shellfish and squid by residents to a nearby dock hub. In Daejeon, a demonstration project will be conducted to enable rapid drone delivery over a distance of more than 15 kilometers between the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital and the Daejeon Blood Center of the Korean Red Cross. There will also be a pilot project to integrate drone delivery systems into emergency military medical operations.
Joo Jongwan, Director-General of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "We will continue to expand K-Drone Delivery nationwide and actively support the introduction of mudflat drone monitoring services in other local governments. We also plan to make pre-flight risk assessments and system checks of drone conditions mandatory, and to strengthen safety inspections conducted by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority."
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