Yeongdeok's Forests Protected by AI Drones... The First Step Toward Smart Wildfire Response

Published 22 Aug.2025 12:22(KST)

On August 21 at 3 p.m., Yeongdeok County held a kickoff meeting for the "Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle Introduction and AI Drone Control System Construction Service for Wildfire Monitoring and Response" in the county office's main conference room.

Yeongdeok County Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle Introduction and AI Drone Control System Construction Service Kickoff Meeting. Provided by Yeongdeok County

More than 20 officials attended the meeting, including county government staff, representatives from Yeongdeok Police Station, Yeongdeok Fire Station, and Uljin Coast Guard. They discussed ways to introduce advanced ICT technologies to prevent wildfires and enable rapid response.

This project will be carried out over three months, from August to October 2025, with a total budget of 1.2 billion KRW, fully funded by the national government.

Through this project, Yeongdeok County plans to significantly enhance the efficiency of wildfire monitoring and response by establishing unmanned autonomous vehicles (drones) and an AI-based integrated control system.

In particular, the system will not only be used for wildfire prevention, but also in various public safety areas such as: supporting lifesaving operations at beaches and recreation sites; preventing safety accidents during large-scale events; crackdowns on illegal dumping and illegal parking; monitoring student safety during nighttime commutes; and searching for missing persons.

County Governor Kim Kwangyeol stated, "This project is an important first step in realizing a smart and safe Yeongdeok, extending beyond wildfire prevention to comprehensive disaster response. We will do our utmost to protect our precious forest resources and the safety of our residents by utilizing advanced technology."