Drone operational authorisation in South Korea

What the rules say

Each line is resolved from published facts of South Korea. "Not resolved" means the corpus does not answer it in a machine-checkable way — never that the law is silent.

• Authorisation requiredConditional
• Trigger statedConditional
• Issuing authorityConditional
• Application modelapprovalYes
• Risk assessmentNot resolved
• Standard scenario routeNot resolved
• Declaration routeNot resolved
• Generic or organisational privilegeNot resolved
• ValidityConditional
• Repeat operationsConditional
• Digital applicationConditional

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Airspace Approval for Unmanned Aircraft

  Operators of unmanned aircraft (무인항공기) must obtain approval from air traffic control before flying in controlled, restricted, or advisory airspace.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Anti-Drone Measures Against Unauthorized Flights Near Airports

  State or local governments, airport operators, and airfield managers may take necessary safety measures, such as repelling, crashing, or capturing (퇴치등), against any ultralight flying device (초경량비행장치) that approaches or intrudes into an airport or airfield without flight approval (비행승인) under the Aviation Safety Act.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Application for Alteration of Drone Business Plan

  An ultra-light flying device use business operator (초경량비행장치사용사업자) who wishes to alter their business plan must submit an application for alteration authorization (변경인가 신청서) to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (한국교통안전공단).

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Application for Special Flight Approval for Night or BVLOS Flights

  An operator who intends to fly an unmanned aircraft at night or beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) must submit an application for special flight approval (특별비행승인) along with supporting documents, such as specifications, flight plans, and pilot qualifications, to the Regional Aviation Administration.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Application Procedure for Test Flight Permit

  To apply for a test flight permit (시험비행등 허가), the applicant must submit an application in Form 119 to the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (기술원) along with documents proving compliance with technical standards, including device specifications, test flight plans, manufacturing proof, safety evidence, operating procedures, and photos.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Approval for night drone operations

  An unmanned aircraft pilot (무인비행장치 조종자) may conduct night flights (야간에 비행 등) only if they have obtained approval (승인) from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in accordance with safety standards.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Capital Requirements and Exemption for Business Registration

  To register an ultra-light flying device business, the applicant must have capital or asset valuation of 30 million KRW or more, except when the business uses only unmanned flying devices with a maximum take-off weight (MTOM) of 25 kg or less.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exemption and Simplification of Requirements in Drone Parks

  Individuals flying drones in a designated Drone Park (드론공원) may have their remote pilot certification (조종자 증명) requirements (limited to specific drones designated by MOLIT Ordinance) and flight approval (비행승인) requirements exempted or simplified.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• 항공안전법 (Aviation Safety Act, Act No. 21268) — Chapter 10 초경량비행장치 — 국토교통부 (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)Open

Known limitations

• 4 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Other drone rules in South Korea

• Do I need to register my drone in South Korea?Registration in South Korea depends on the aircraft and the operation: it applies once the published conditions below are met, each cited to the rule that sets it.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in South Korea?Drone flights in South Korea are held to a published general height limit of 150 m AGL. The limit is not absolute: the published conditions that change it are cited below.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in South Korea?Drone flights near aerodromes in South Korea are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.
• Can I fly a drone at night in South Korea?Night flying in South Korea is regulated rather than simply allowed or banned: published lighting, category and authorisation conditions below decide whether a given flight may take place after dark.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in South Korea?Remote pilot competency in South Korea scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.
• Do I need drone insurance in South Korea?Whether drone insurance is required in South Korea depends on the aircraft and the operation, as published in the conditions below.

All drone laws in South Korea