"Robot Delivery Commercialized in 2026... Establishment of Urban Advanced Logistics Complex in City Centers"

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Announces 'Smart Logistics Infrastructure Development Plan'
Achieving Ultra-Short Delivery Nationwide Within 30 Minutes to 1 Hour

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] The government plans to commercialize unmanned delivery early, starting with robot delivery in 2026, and establish an AI-based same-day delivery system. In urban areas with limited logistics land, it will create urban advanced logistics complexes, and at Incheon Airport and other locations, it will develop advanced logistics infrastructure.

On the 20th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a joint "Smart Logistics Infrastructure Establishment Plan" involving related ministries at the Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting. This plan is part of the "Next-Generation Logistics" project in the daily life sector, one of the three major fields of the "New Growth 4.0 Strategy" announced last December, concretizing government national tasks.

Urban Delivery Autonomous Robot
[Photo by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority]

First, the government will support technology development and demonstration to commercialize robot delivery in 2026 and drone delivery in 2027 early, and create a logistics-dedicated testbed. Institutional foundations such as legislation for unmanned delivery and safety standards will also be gradually established.

In June, a public-private consultative body (tentatively named "Smart Logistics Development Council") will be formed, involving companies from logistics, platforms, information technology (IT), and other fields. The plan is to induce private-led innovation by discovering business models.

Ultra-short delivery within 30 minutes to 1 hour nationwide will also be realized. To this end, the location of order delivery facilities (MFC) within urban areas will be permitted, and outdated logistics warehouses will be digitized.

Additionally, a pilot operation zone where autonomous freight vehicles can run will be designated within the year, with related safety standards established in 2024, and an underground logistics transportation system using existing urban railways will be built by 2027. Tax support for private technology development will also be promoted to monitor cargo based on cold chain technology.

In terms of building logistics networks, urban advanced logistics complexes and other logistics hubs will be established in urban areas lacking logistics land. When developing new towns, developers will be allowed to secure land for living logistics facilities in advance. In areas near cities, idle land such as highways and railway land will be actively utilized to expand logistics infrastructure.

Efforts will also be made to build a global air logistics hub. Advanced logistics infrastructure will be established at Incheon Airport and the new airport, and a smart air cargo handling system will be built. Furthermore, restrictions on development in greenbelt areas for national logistics complexes outside the metropolitan area will be eased, and a "National Smart Logistics Platform System" will be introduced to create international logistics hubs.

Regarding logistics safety nets, the plan includes establishing a freight vehicle safety management monitoring system by 2027 and designating "traffic safety management zones" near logistics facilities. Logistics-dedicated operation spaces will also be provided along roadsides so that freight and parcel vehicles can safely perform loading and unloading tasks within urban areas.

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We have prepared this plan so that the logistics industry, which has grown into a core industry leading the national economy, can contribute to Korea's leap to a top-tier country. Through new innovations in the logistics industry, we will make citizens' lives more convenient, help our companies go global, and fully commit to implementing measures so that the national economy can grow and leap forward even further."

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