To launch the national K-UAM urban air mobility pilot project, the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is to begin providing customised, phased support to local governments. This support will include budgetary support, R&D and demonstration linkages, and consulting with specialist institutions to prepare the K-UAM pilot projects.
The support plan was established based on the business plans submitted by local governments following a document review, on-site inspection, and presentation evaluation of the projects submitted to the 2025 Urban Air Mobility Regional Pilot Project Support Call announced in April.
Projects earmarked for government support
Jeju is planning a tourism route connecting Jeju International Airport and local tourist hubs. The project plan is considered “concrete” and the local government has strong commitment to implementation. Therefore, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will provide budget support for the design of vertiports.
Daegu and Gyeongbuk are planning public projects such as forest fire surveillance and highway accident monitoring. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport says the joint participation of relevant organisations (such as the Korea Expressway Corporation and the National Police Agency) ensures clear project objectives. Therefore, the ministry will provide budget support for the development of the project plan and the design of vertiports.
In South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will provide budget support for the development of tourism infrastructure, including vertiport infrastructure, in accordance with the Southern Region Tourism Development Plan. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will also provide institutional support, including the designation of pilot operation areas.
Ulsan is planning an alternative transportation network connecting the Taehwa River and Ulsan Station via UAM, moving away from the existing road-centric transportation system. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to establish vertiports as R&D demonstration sites for the development of core UAM technologies.
Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon are planning airport shuttle routes connecting Incheon and Gimpo Airports with urban areas in the Seoul metropolitan area, which is expected to generate significant private demand. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to build urban demonstration facilities to test aircraft safety and integrated operability, then link these facilities to pilot projects. Plans are in place for demonstration projects on the Ara Waterway (Cheongna-Gyeyang) in 2025, and KINTEX-Daedeok/Susaek Airport-Gimpo Airport in 2026.
Busan is planning an integrated transportation and tourism project connecting Busan Station and Haeundae. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will provide institutional and technical consulting, taking into account development restrictions on vertiports and surrounding obstacles such as large vessels and bridges.
North Chungcheong Province is planning a project to replace helicopters used in disaster response situations such as forest fires with UAM. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to provide consulting on the specific location of vertiports and the direction of connecting the Chungcheong region’s metropolitan area.
The ministry also plans to expand consulting support from specialist organisations to local governments that have not yet applied for the public offering, such as North Jeolla Province, Gangwon Province and South Chungcheong Province, to help them flesh out their plans for establishing vertiports centred around key stations, which are currently under internal review.
For more information
K-UAM support release [in Korean]
This news story has been created with the assistance of translation software