Wonju Named Korea's 2026 Drone Demonstration City, Second Straight Year in Gangwon Province
Wonju, a city in Korea’s Gangwon Province, has been selected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) for the 2026 Drone Demonstration City project. It remains the only Gangwon local government chosen in the drone delivery field for two consecutive years. Wonju will join a consortium that includes the Wonju Future Industry Promotion Agency and the local drone company KATS.
In the first phase last year, Wonju established a real-time drone monitoring system at Sinlim-myeon Hwangdun Suboffice and at the Future Industry Promotion Agency. The city also deployed delivery infrastructure at five camping sites, including landing pads to enable drone operations.
The second phase planned for this year aims to diversify the items delivered and implement a multi-point, simultaneous delivery system to boost operational efficiency. The project will also widen its focus to public administration services, such as forest surveillance and safety management, using 3D mapping.
The ongoing selection for Wonju highlights Korea’s push to advance drone-enabled logistics and public services, with strong emphasis on public-private collaboration. It also reinforces Wonju’s role as a leading testbed among Gangwon municipalities in the drone delivery space.
For U.S. readers, the development matters for several reasons. It reflects a broader strategic move toward drone-enabled last-mile delivery and smart city applications that could influence global supply chains, e-commerce efficiency, and logistical resilience. As Korea expands its drone ecosystem, opportunities may arise for cross-border collaboration, technology standards, and potential partnerships with U.S. firms and policymakers.
Background context: MOLIT runs the Drone Demonstration City program to pilot and showcase drone delivery and related public-service uses. Wonju’s consortium combines municipal development agencies with a local drone company to build infrastructure and testing ground for real-world operations like monitoring, landing sites, and multi-point delivery, as well as advanced mapping for public safety.