Maximizing Efficiency Across All Areas of Disaster, Safety, and Environment, Laying the Foundation for Smart City Incheon -

Expanding Across All Areas of Environment, Facilities, and Safety … Accelerating Incheon-Style Drone Demonstration City -

Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok) announced it is significantly enhancing administrative efficiency across all areas including disaster, safety, and environment by establishing an innovative urban management system utilizing drones.

This year, Incheon City invested a total of 3.795 billion won (approximately $3.095 million), including 2 billion won in national funds and 1.795 billion won in city funds, to solidify the drone ecosystem foundation and lay the groundwork for realizing Incheon as a future smart city.

This project consists of:

▲Establishing a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) Drone Demonstration City

▲Building an Incheon-style Drone Demonstration City ▲Support for drone testing and evaluation ▲Establishment of a smart drone marine environment management system.

Notably, Incheon City has been selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Drone Demonstration City project for four consecutive years from 2022 to 2025, solidifying its position as a leading drone city in name and reality.

The ‘K-Drone Delivery Commercialization Project’ has brought revolutionary changes to the lives of residents in island areas like Deokjeokdo. On Deokjeokdo Island, drones delivered a total of 126 daily necessities. A pilot project using drones for marine debris collection was also conducted at Parraegeum Beach in Buk 2-ri, Deokjeok-myeon, a coastal area vulnerable to litter. Furthermore, drones are utilized for patrolling high-crime areas on the island and responding to emergencies, contributing to a safer environment for citizens.

Incheon City operates an efficient control system centered around the Drone Urban Management Center. Through field-based services like building administrative service maps for Yeongheungdo and managing safety during tidal flat fishing, it achieved outstanding results, including rescuing six stranded individuals during drone patrols from May to October. Furthermore, it significantly enhanced disease prevention efficiency by implementing malaria mosquito control using a drone-based disinfection system.

The ‘Incheon-style Drone Demonstration City Project’ focuses on discovering and enhancing customized urban management services for demand-side institutions. In the environmental sector, drones are used for Simgokcheon Stream water quality management and air and odor monitoring. In the facilities sector, they enhance maintenance efficiency by building bridge image databases and cleaning stations. In the safety sector, drone patrols at four suicide-risk bridges have increased suicide prevention effectiveness. Drones are also actively utilized for producing 3D promotional videos for attracting the F1 Grand Prix.

The ‘Smart Drone-Based Marine Environment Management System,’ combining drones, satellites, and sonar, precisely observes marine debris distribution and proposes optimal collection routes through AI-based analysis. The observation area, which began on two islands, Jwaweoldo and Seungbongdo, in 2024, will expand to nine islands, including Daeijakdo and Soijakdo, in 2025, driving the efficiency of marine debris management across the entire Ongjin County.

Meanwhile, Incheon City is also striving to enhance the competitiveness of local companies by promoting a total of seven voucher support projects to broaden the drone industry base. These include marketing, intellectual property rights, testing and certification, prototype production, and localization support. This is expected to further strengthen the foundation for creating a drone ecosystem linked to local industries and achieving technological self-reliance.

Starting in 2026, Incheon City plans to implement the ‘Smart Marine Village’ project, selected through a Ministry of Science and ICT public competition, with a total budget of 2.5 billion won.

This project is a composite model that addresses waste, environmental, and safety issues in island areas using digital-based technologies like drones. It is expected to serve as a demonstration stage for smart marine cities, further elevating Incheon's drone technology capabilities.

Park Kwang-geun, Director of the City's Maritime and Aviation Bureau, stated, “We will proactively address social issues using drone technology to enhance citizen safety and quality of life.” He added, “As drones are establishing themselves as a future growth engine for Incheon, we will continue to strive for innovative administrative services and the realization of a smart city.”