Applications open until July 31… Final selection in November
“Aiming to identify top-tier domestic drone ‘hidden champions’”

[SEOUL = Newsis] Reporter Kim Geumbo – On May 14, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo observed domestically produced drones at the "Drone Industry Alliance Inaugural General Assembly" held in COEX Magok, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. 2025.05.14. kgb@newsis.com

[SEOUL = Newsis] Reporter Jeong Jin-hyung – On the 29th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority announced the launch of the public call for the selection of “K-Drone Excellent Operators,” which will begin on June 30. This initiative aims to discover and support domestic drone companies with technological self-reliance and proven export performance.

The “K-Drone Excellent Operator” system was newly established to promote technological advancement and enhance global competitiveness in the drone industry. The program emphasizes evaluation of localization technologies, export performance, and complete system development capabilities, with a focus on identifying high-performing companies and linking them to commercialization and overseas expansion support.

This round of applications is open to drone manufacturers and service providers that have contributed to industry advancement and improved safety. The designation system was legislatively established in March and will be implemented for the first time in the second half of this year.

MOLIT explained that the evaluation will distinguish between manufacturing and service sectors to reflect the characteristics of the drone industry, and will seek to balance sector-specific competitiveness with growth potential.

Applications will be accepted until July 31, and after approximately three months of document review and on-site evaluations, the final selection will be announced in November. Official announcements can be found on the Drone Information Integrated System, Drone Information Portal, and the Aviation Education & Training Portal.

Selected companies will receive a certificate and official mark of recognition, and will also be granted preferential consideration when applying for MOLIT-led drone commercialization and overseas expansion support programs.

Kim Ki-hoon, Director of the Advanced Aviation Division at MOLIT, stated, “The K-Drone Excellent Operator certification is not merely a selection process, but a system to foster domestic drone companies with strong technological and export capabilities into industry leaders,” adding, “It will serve as a platform to systematically discover globally competitive hidden champions.”