The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport successfully concluded this year’s “K-Drone Delivery Commercialization Project.” This initiative, launched this year to move drone delivery beyond simple demonstrations toward commercialization, has received high satisfaction from local residents using the drone delivery service. Expectations are high for next year’s service models and expanded delivery item variety.

On December 11, the Ministry held a “Drone Activation Project Results Report Meeting.” The K-Drone Delivery Commercialization Project this year involved 14 local governments and 16 delivery operators, providing drone delivery services across 32 island areas, 17 parks, and one port.

Participants in this project completed a total of 2,993 delivery flights, covering a cumulative distance of 16,350 km—equivalent to 13 round trips between Seoul and Busan.

In Ulju County’s Ganwoljae, famous for its silver grass park, drones delivered jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), and in Seongnam’s Tancheon Park, emergency medical supplies could be received during urgent situations.

Local residents responded very positively. A resident of Gapado Island in Jeju said, “It was great to receive food while still hot thanks to drone delivery.” Another resident from Biyangdo and Marado Islands in Jeju expressed satisfaction, saying, “After 4 p.m., when the ferry service stops, we couldn’t send seafood harvested by haenyeo (female divers), but drone delivery has created a new route to send these to the mainland.”

K-Drone Delivery was carried out by establishing delivery hubs, drop-off points, flight routes, and delivery apps in accordance with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s drone delivery guidelines. To ensure safety management, the Ministry conducted special flight approvals and inspected local governments’ established drone delivery hubs, drop-off points, drone control rooms, and operation plans. Additionally, a drone situation management center equipped with a monitoring system was operated to provide standard manuals to delivery companies and verify safe flights along drone routes. Thanks to adherence to these safety procedures, there were no human or material damages reported this year.

At this year’s drone activation project results report meeting, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Vololand were selected as the top drone delivery operators and received awards from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province was recognized for its active participation in improving logistics accessibility to its outlying islands by using long-range drones, as well as for its stable operation and management of drone takeoff and landing infrastructure. Vololand received high praise for enabling food and grocery delivery to hiking trails and campgrounds in mountainous areas up to 1,000 meters using domestically developed drones, thereby opening new sales channels for local stores.

Kim Young-guk, Director of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “The drone delivery commercialization project is a program that has supported full-scale commercialization from this year to improve convenience for residents and visitors in islands, parks, and ports. It has garnered great interest from local governments and residents. We will strive to further grow drone delivery by expanding service models and diversifying delivery items.”

Reporter: Park Hyo-joo phj20@etnews.com