A drone departs from Geumneung Port on Jeju island to deliver fried chicken and household goods to Biyang Island. The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) conducted a monthlong trial of the drone-robot delivery system starting March 26. Courtesy of KASA
A drone carrying a box of fried chicken and household goods took off from Geumneung Port on Jeju Island, crossing approximately 3 kilometers of ocean to reach the remote Biyang Island.
Upon landing safely in an empty lot near the dock, a rectangular autonomous robot approached to retrieve the package. The robot navigated the narrow alleys of the volcanic isle at a walking pace and sounded an alert upon reaching its destination. A local resident retrieved the order, providing a glimpse of a fully unmanned delivery trial.
A drone hands over fried chicken and household goods to a delivery robot on Biyang Island. Captured from Hankook Ilbo's YouTube channel
This scene from Jeju shows how far a government-backed drone delivery effort has advanced. The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced Friday they completed approximately 80 drone delivery trials over the past month. The joint initiative aims to build a drone-robot delivery system for everyday use within five years.
While unmanned delivery operates in global tech hubs like Shenzhen, China, Korea's trials stand out for their payload capacity. Standard commercial drones typically carry payloads of around 3 kilograms. The newly tested heavy-lift drones transported up to 40 kilograms, delivering 10-kilogram bags of rice, dumbbells, food and everyday items to 56 locations across Biyang Island, including private homes and restaurants.
Drone delivery expansion traditionally faces significant regulatory hurdles regarding aviation safety, crash risks and privacy concerns, making it difficult for the private sector to pursue independently. Flying over residential neighborhoods requires public acceptance and addressing public complaints. KASA cleared these hurdles by collaborating closely with local governments to secure flight approvals and community agreements for the Jeju operations.
A drone carrying goods attempts to land on a Meituan drop box in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, March 24. Korea Times photo by Lee Hye-mi
“Our focus was on identifying technical areas that need improvement ahead of commercialization,” KASA said. “It is rare to repeatedly test high-payload deliveries under such varied conditions. This technology is reaching a level where it can replace everyday logistics operations.”
Starting with Jeju, KASA plans to expand these trials nationwide. The agency aims to expand delivery access in islands and mountainous areas before eventually shifting urban deliveries to unmanned systems.
Source: Korea Times News
