Jeonnam Goheung-gun Selected as Final Winner in National Drone Special Free Zone Competition

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 10th that Goheung County has been finally selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's nationwide contest project for the ‘Drone Special Free Zone’.

Following last year's selection of the ‘Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge Demonstration Testbed,’ the designation of the ‘Drone Special Free Zone’ has led to evaluations that Jeonnam Province has effectively secured a leading position in the next-generation drone industry (flying cars, industrial drones, etc.).

The Drone Special Free Zone is a pre-regulatory relaxation system that exempts or simplifies various regulations such as special airworthiness certification (capabilities an aircraft must have to ensure its own safety), flight permits, and safety certifications to promote the practical use and commercialization of service models utilizing drones.

The Goheung flight test airspace, which does not overlap with civilian flight routes, is the largest drone demonstration airspace nationwide (22 km in diameter) and possesses excellent aviation infrastructure such as the National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center. It received favorable evaluations for having the only comprehensive testbed for both manned and unmanned aircraft in the country.

Under the Drone Special Free Zone project, three demonstration projects will be promoted: ▲integrated flight of medium and large unmanned aircraft ▲long-distance cargo transport to inhabited islands ▲ultra-wide area quarantine. Ten companies will participate and conduct various demonstration projects until next year.

The ‘Integrated Flight of Medium and Large Unmanned Aircraft’ demonstration is a project to verify the stability of aircraft (over 150 kg) to be deployed for military reconnaissance, surveillance, and fire scenes, with participation from large companies such as Korean Air and local companies.

The ‘Long-distance Cargo Transport to Inhabited Islands’ will utilize Goheung County's geographical advantage of having multiple inhabited islands to demonstrate medium-sized drone delivery transport and long-distance night flights.

Upon completion of the ‘Ultra-wide Area Quarantine’ demonstration, it will enhance the efficiency of quarantine against COVID-19 and livestock disease viruses and create a new service market in the disinfection and quarantine sector.

Additionally, the province is focusing on establishing a one-stop comprehensive support system for testing, demonstration, and certification to secure a competitive edge in the medium and large commercial drone market, creating optimal conditions for business.

The province also provides drone infrastructure built in Jeonnam to project participants and related companies.

Through this, it plans to support innovative growth of companies by commercializing service models and discovering business models, while attracting companies to the province and creating jobs.

Yoon Byung-tae, Jeonnam Province Deputy Governor for Political Affairs, said, “Following last year's selection of the K-UAM Grand Challenge Testbed, the designation of the Drone Special Free Zone highlights Jeonnam Province as the national center of the drone industry,” adding, “We will strive to secure the next-generation future flying vehicle industry together with the government, Goheung County, and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.”

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