Goheung-gun Selected as Final Testbed for Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'K-UAM Grand Challenge'
Published 31 Dec.2020 11:31(KST)
Updated 19 Aug.2025 12:49(KST)
Secured 7.85 Billion KRW in National Funding, Infrastructure Development Including Takeoff and Landing Sites, and Flight Demonstration Promotion
Accelerating Future Aircraft Industries Such as Drone Taxis and Flying Cars to Capture New Markets
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[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge Testbed has been finally decided to be located in Goheung, Jeonnam.
According to Goheung County on the 31st, as a result of the UAM Team Korea main council meeting hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 29th, the Jeonnam Goheung National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Site was finally selected.
Goheung, Jeonnam secured the largest flight demonstration airspace nationwide (area of 380㎢), does not overlap with military and civilian air routes, and has already established infrastructure such as an emergency landing site, hangar, takeoff and landing site, parking lot, electrical facilities, and water supply and drainage within the Aviation Center and National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Site, making it an optimal location for future aircraft testing, evaluation, demonstration, and certification.
The Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge Testbed construction project will test, operate, and verify safety for urban operation in advance to respond to the explosive growth of the future aircraft industry, expected to reach 731 trillion won (K-UAM roadmap) by 2040.
The project budget is 7.85 billion won from the national treasury, and infrastructure such as takeoff and landing sites, mobile charging facilities, flight monitoring and control centers, noise measurement equipment, surveillance radar, communication equipment, and modules for aircraft installation will be constructed, along with flight demonstration.
The flight demonstration will verify the normal operation of the aircraft within environmental ranges such as wind speed and rainfall, and smooth interoperation with communication and surveillance ground facilities.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to complete open field testing by 2024 as the first phase, and from 2025, to commercialize some routes through metropolitan area demonstration route testing as the second phase.
County Governor Song Guigeun said, “With the establishment of Korea’s first urban air mobility-based K-UAM Grand Challenge Testbed, we expect it to greatly contribute to regional economic revitalization by securing the next-generation future transportation market, attracting anchor companies for future aircraft through technology development and flight demonstration support linked with Goheung’s excellent aviation infrastructure, and creating jobs.”
In addition, the county is preparing support systems for rent and various charges for resident companies and subsidy support systems for investment companies to attract excellent companies, and plans to continuously carry out projects to strengthen corporate capabilities.
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