Rapid Growth in K-Drone Overseas Exports... To the US, Canada, and Worldwide

62% Growth Compared to 2023 Exports
Overseas Exports of 23.2 Billion Won

On the morning of the 21st, officials are conducting a demonstration of navigation safety facility inspection using a drone at the Jeju Aviation Radio Beacon Station in Seogwipo-si, Jeju. Korea Airports Corporation manages and operates 10 aviation radio beacon stations that provide direction and distance information for the safe operation of aircraft. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 16th that domestic drone companies are expanding their exports in the global market based on their technological capabilities, achieving 23.2 billion KRW in overseas exports this year, a 62% increase compared to 14.4 billion KRW last year.

Export regions have expanded worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, India, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Export items include drone light show aircraft, surveying drone aircraft, flight control devices, drone soccer equipment, facility monitoring services, and agricultural management services, covering not only aircraft and hardware components but also software and drone utilization services.

Domestic company Ubifai’s drone light show swarm flight aircraft and system have exported over 10 million USD to markets such as the United States, Canada, and Germany, earning the Export Tower Award. In November, they set a Guinness World Record for village formation in the U.S. and achieved the largest swarm flight record in the U.S. with 5,000 drones.

Additionally, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a global electronics and technology exhibition, domestic drone company NearsLab won the CES 2025 Best Innovation Award for its unmanned drone station capable of autonomous flight.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport continuously fosters and supports these domestic companies through the drone commercialization support project. This year, three overseas drone roadshows were held through the overseas expansion support project. A K-Drone delegation also participated in the U.S. Drone Expo and the Italy Drone Expo for entry into the European market.

Kim Young-guk, Director of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, “We plan to implement various overseas expansion support projects in 2025 to continuously expand exports of excellent drone companies. Next year, we will focus on entering the U.S. market by holding drone roadshows within the United States and strive to expand our companies’ drone products and services in the global market.”

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