Gwangju Buk-gu Designated as Permanent Drone Practical Test Site... 'First in Metropolitan City'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (District Mayor Moon In) announced on the 31st that it has established the first permanent drone license practical test center among metropolitan cities nationwide.

On the 28th, Buk-gu signed a business agreement with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority to designate the 'Buk-gu Drone Flight Practice Field' located at 46 Daechon-dong, Buk-gu, as a 'Permanent Drone National License Practical Test Center.'

Accordingly, starting with the first drone practical test on the 16th of next month, the permanent practical test center will be fully operational, with drone practical tests held twice a week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Last year, 2,810 people in Gwangju and Jeonnam obtained licenses, accounting for 20% nationwide, highlighting the ongoing need for a permanent practical test center for license acquisition.

Including the newly designated Buk-gu center, there are a total of 10 permanent drone license practical test centers nationwide, which is expected to greatly alleviate the inconvenience for citizens who previously had to travel to other regions such as Suncheon and Jeonju to take the practical test.

Last year, Buk-gu opened the first drone flight practice field in Gwangju City and contributed to spreading drone leisure culture by operating free drone experience classes and providing flight locations for drone specialized companies and enthusiasts.

In particular, to designate the permanent practical test center, the existing 7,470㎡ drone flight practice field was expanded to 10,000㎡, and various convenience facilities such as indoor training rooms and safety facilities were installed.

In the future, Buk-gu plans to have the drone flight practice field designated as a drone park by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and will focus on fostering the drone industry through designation as a special drone free zone and promotion of drone technology development (R&D) projects.

Mayor Moon In of Buk-gu said, “Through the designation of this permanent drone practical test center, we expect it to greatly help in nurturing professional drone operators and creating jobs, thereby revitalizing the local economy,” and added, “We will continue to promote various projects aligned with the trends of the 4th industrial revolution era, such as fostering the drone industry and establishing a foundation for an AI-centered city.”

Meanwhile, detailed information on drone practical test applications and other matters can be found on the Korea Transportation Safety Authority website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.