Gochang-gun Accelerates Construction of Honam Region Drone Integrated Support Center

Published 19 Dec.2023 09:26(KST)

Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk is accelerating the ‘Honam Region Drone Integrated Support Center Construction Project,’ which will serve as a hub for the drone industry, a core sector of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

According to the county on the 19th, the ‘Gochang (Honam Region) Drone Integrated Support Center’ will be established on a site of 89,560㎡ (approximately 27,000 pyeong) at 184-4 Jodong-ri, Seongnae-myeon, Gochang-gun. The center will include a drone integrated support center (flight testing, drone certification, drone education), a runway (200m×20m), and practical test sites (90m×40m×4 areas).

Gochang (Honam Region) Drone Integrated Support Center_Aerial View. [Photo by Gochang-gun]

The county is currently planning (and revising) the military management plan (land use area, military planning facilities: research facilities, roads), consulting with related departments, and after completing administrative procedures such as land acquisition and detailed design, it plans to begin full-scale infrastructure construction in the first half of 2024.

The total project cost is 37.5 billion KRW, and the drone integrated support center will be operated and managed by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and the Korea Safety Technology Institute.

At the time of activation, it is expected that the annual number of trainees using the center will reach about 1,000, and the number of certification exam takers will reach approximately 15,000.

Considering the future expansion of related industries, Gochang is expected to have immense potential to grow into a mecca of the drone industry.

County Governor Shim Deok-seop said, “Gochang will play a central hub role so that drones, advanced logistics, semiconductors, and other core sectors of the 4th Industrial Revolution can greatly develop here,” adding, “We will continue to discover and foster new projects and lead balanced development to revitalize the local economy.”