Jeju Island is set to launch drone delivery services on its subsidiary islands. The service will provide essential items to Gapado, Mara Island, and Biyang Island when regular shipping services are not available. Biyang Island has already started the delivery service, with Gapado and Mara Island to follow suit later this month.
Currently, Biyang Island has 10 franchise stores, including chicken outlets, that residents can order from through the Gimneung-ri Drone Delivery Center. Delivery is available on Thursdays and Fridays from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for a fee of 3,000 won. The flight time from Gimneung Port to Biyang Island’s pier is 3.5 minutes, and the drones can handle speeds up to 8m/s.
Gapado and Mara Island will begin their drone delivery services in mid-July, overcoming weather challenges such as fog and strong winds. From the Sangmori Drone Delivery Center in Daejeong-eup, it takes around 10 minutes to reach Gapado and 20 minutes to reach Mara Island. Service is provided by four businesses, including markets and chicken stores, from Wednesday to Friday.
The maximum weight capacity for drone deliveries is 15kg for Gapado and 3kg for each of Mara Island and Biyang Island. In addition to regular deliveries, the service will also include reverse deliveries of local specialty products.
Since 2019, Jeju Island has been conducting a pilot project utilizing drones tailored to the characteristics of island areas with support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This year, the focus is on improving the convenience of residents and tourists by delivering essential goods via drones during logistics-vulnerable hours on the three subsidiary islands. Drone service will be free for the month of July.
Yang Je-yun, director of Jeju Island’s Department of Innovation Industry, emphasized the significance of this year’s drone delivery service in enhancing residents’ convenience and understanding market demand, with safety personnel stationed at the islands and delivery centers during the trial period to assist users.