Icheon Selected for Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's '2026 Drone Demonstration City Development Project'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Icheon City announced on the 12th that it has been selected as the final candidate for the '2026 Drone Demonstration City Development Project' organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and has secured 120 million won in national funding.

This project aims to demonstrate drone-based delivery and public services and develop customized drone utilization models for the region. With the goal of revitalizing the drone industry and establishing a foundation for future cities, the total project budget of 140 million won (120 million won in national funding, 20 million won in city funding) will be invested, and the project will be carried out from this month through November.

The city plans to expand K-drone delivery service operations centered on Bokha Stream Waterfront Park and Seolbong Park to establish a standardized system for drone delivery-specialized distribution and logistics. It will also operate the Cheongmi Stream flight test bed based on public-private-military cooperation to establish a demonstration environment for urbanized drone logistics commercialization, accelerating drone industry ecosystem development.

Additionally, the city plans to establish a smart safety management system that conducts regular patrols of the Bokha Stream area by establishing a river patrol and emergency response system using drones. In conjunction with this, the city plans to pilot the 'Icheon City Drone Public Inspection Station' using the drone inspection pad installed at the Cheongmi Stream airfield to actively ensure the safety of drones owned not only by public institutions but also by citizens.

Mayor Kim Gyeong-hee stated, "Being selected consecutively for the drone demonstration city development project this year, following last year, will be an important opportunity for Icheon to emerge as a city leading the future drone industry." She added, "Through various demonstration projects such as drone delivery and smart safety management, we will expand cutting-edge services that citizens can experience and continuously strengthen the foundation of the drone industry."