The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on March 17 said it designated Jeju Island and 14 other local governments drone demonstration cities jointly with the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology. Shown is an artist's rendition of the expected delivery process on Gapado Island off the southwest coast of Jeju. (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

By Israa Mohamed

Jeju Island will launch the nation's first commercial drone delivery service in the second half of the year. 

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on March 17 said it named Jeju and 14 other local governments as drone demonstration cities jointly with the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology. 

This year's competition for the designation attracted 40 local governments, with Jeju, the cities of Seoul, Incheon, Ulsan and Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, and the counties of Yeongwol-gun in Gangwon-do Province and Eumseong-gun in Chungcheongbuk-do Province being chosen. The 15 areas will receive differentiated government support based on the size and service content of their projects. 

In the latter half of this year, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will launch the nation's first drone delivery service, targeting about 130 households on Gapado Island. Priority will go to preparation of the infrastructure necessary for the service like takeoff and landing sites, setup of flight routes, and identification systems and a safety management structure for drones. 

The city government of Seongnam plans to install drone delivery points near the Seoul suburb's Bundang Central Park and Tancheon Stream to allow delivery of convenience store items by drones for a fee when they are ordered from the park. 

The ministry will gradually expand commercialization of the service, starting with rural areas facing difficulty receiving parcel delivery and eventually to parks in urban areas. 

Kim Young-guk, director-general of the ministry's Aviation Policy Bureau, said, "This year marks the first year of the full-scale commercialization of Korean drone delivery," adding, "We will develop this into a sustainable business by raising safety and efficiency." 

ess8@korea.kr