Students experience drone flying at the inaugural meeting of the Drone Industry Alliance held at COEX Magok in Magok-dong, Gangseo District, Seoul, on May 14. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is ramping up efforts to reduce its reliance on foreign drone technology and establish itself as a global leader in the sector, with the launch of a government-backed drone alliance and five flagship development projects aimed at advancing domestic capabilities.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Wednesday convened the inaugural general meeting of the Drone Industry Alliance (DIA) at Magok COEX in Seoul.
The alliance brings together 347 entities, including 263 private companies, 23 local governments, 22 public institutions, and multiple universities, research institutes, and academic associations. The initiative seeks to consolidate the fragmented and often small-scale drone industry into a more unified and competitive ecosystem.
Despite its technological potential and growing market, Korea’s drone sector has been hindered by high foreign dependency and limited domestic production capacity. In response, the government unveiled the “Five Drone Flagship Projects,” which aim to develop fully domestic drones tailored for agriculture, firefighting, construction and infrastructure management, logistics, and aviation.
Students experience drone flying at the inaugural meeting of the Drone Industry Alliance held at COEX Magok in Magok-dong, Gangseo District, Seoul, on May 14. (Yonhap)
The projects will support the entire development pipeline—from core technology R&D to field testing and international export—targeting a future where South Korea no longer relies heavily on imported drone platforms.
The ministry also introduced broader measures, including a smart drone factory and a support center for drone companies, along with initiatives to foster the next generation of drone specialists. A supplementary budget of 10 billion won (approximately $7.4 million) has been allocated this year to support drone development for disaster response and firefighting applications.
To build public awareness and global visibility, the government will also host the “K-Drone to World Festival” this fall, a nationwide relay of drone-themed events from September 25 to October 19, including a drone soccer world cup in Jeonju, a drone light show in Busan, a global drone expo in Pocheon, and an international drone racing competition in Namwon.
“Through technological self-reliance and innovation, we aim to make Korean drones globally competitive and claim leadership in the international market,” said Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo. “This alliance marks a critical turning point—moving beyond competition to cooperation and building an integrated ecosystem that can secure global leadership.”
The alliance will operate through five working groups focused on commercialization, regulatory reform, infrastructure, core technology development, and international cooperation. Insights and findings will inform future policy, with the goal of accelerating commercialization, enabling collaborative R&D, and strengthening Korea’s overall drone competitiveness.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
