DEVELOPMENT IN UNMANNED DRONE TECH

[Anchor Lead]

The government is developing unmanned drone technologies as part of the efforts to nurture the drone sector. But researchers say the drones are far from unmanned.

[Pkg]

An aircraft flies along a designated route. It's an unmanned drone. From delivery to farming and reaching difficult-to-access areas, these aerial vehicles come in handy when fighting fires or monitoring dams. They operate beyond pilots' visual range. Approval from the minister of land, infrastructure and transport is required for flights conducted beyond the range of pilots' eyes. At least one operator must be allocated to oversee flights on designated routes. Operators must be able to fly drones. When drones move beyond their range of vision, another operator must be deployed.

[Soundbite] (Official from Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "These regulations are still in place due to lingering concerns over safety."

Though the regulation seeks to ensure safety, researchers say the drones are far from unmanned.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Dong-hyun(Jeonju Univ.) : "Utilizing drones is not easy because people are required to oversee them, although the goal of this technology is to eliminate human presence."

This means technologies developed through state projects eventually become useless.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Dong-hyun(Jeonju Univ.) : "This technology was developed at the government's request. But once it was developed, a law was enacted banning its use."

The government aims to nurture the drone sector to one trillion won in value by 2025. But the current regulations could hamper commercialization of unmanned drones.