À̹ÌÁö È®´ë The South Korean government will ease regulations on drone-powered businesses to enable autonomous drone parcel and flying taxi services in the country, joining the global race to stay competitive in the fast-growing drone market.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Office for Government Policy Coordination on Thursday revealed a roadmap for the country to get a head start in fostering the growth of the drone industry by streamlining rules. It was unveiled at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon at the government complex building in central Seoul.
The roadmap – established jointly by ministries and institutions including Korea Aerospace Research Institute and Korea Drone Industry Promotion Association – includes 35 regulatory revisions depending on different technology and industrial development phase.
It is designed based on the projection that drone operations would be fully autonomous, as well as drones would be able to carry passengers or fly in heavily populated areas and invisible areas by 2025. Currently, civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are manually operated by a human controller.
¡°The drone industry is one of the promising future industries with high growth potential,¡± said Kwon Yong-bok, head of aviation policy at the transport ministry. ¡°At a time when many countries, in particular, China, are ambitiously competing for hegemony in the drone industry, it is necessary for us to revise related regulations.¡±
Through regulatory revisions, the government will first develop and establish a drone traffic control system, which acts as traffic lights for drones in the sky. The ministry plans to designate drone space that is different from the current aircraft course to enable drone taxis and delivery drones to operate in separate low and high-altitude routes. It also plans to legalize the operation of jamming equipment, which is currently banned under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, to prevent any illegitimate drone flights including drone terrorism.
The government will also come up with standards for drone delivery services in island areas by next year and delivery and facility standards by 2023 with an aim to commercialize the drone delivery service by 2025. Multinational companies such as Google, DHL, and China¡¯s Alibaba have already announced to soon start the drone parcel service, and the Korean government hopes to catch up with them with the regulation relaxation.
The next goal for the government will be to set up rules for passenger-carrying drones by 2023. The so-called drone taxis, which is bigger in size and a similar concept to flying cars, is expected to carry passengers and transport cargos in the city. The drone taxi will fly autonomously while its operation will be remotely monitored. Under the plan, drone taxis and ambulances could be available in the late 2020s and early 2030s. Ride-hailing service provider Uber has already announced to introduce trial aircraft taxi service using flying cars next year in Melbourne, Australia, with an aim to commercialize the service in 2023. Uber¡¯s flying car, which combines the structure of a helicopter and aircraft and can seat up to four people, can fly 241 kilometers per hour.
By Kim Tae-joon and Lee Eun-joo
[¨Ï Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]