South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034

South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market Size

The South Korea unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market reached approximately USD 767.85 million in 2023. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.20% between 2024 and 2032, reaching a value of around USD 2,250.53 million by 2032.

South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market Outlook

• The Defense Acquisition Program Administration of South Korea announced on January 25, 2024, that it signed a deal with the prime contractor, Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD), to begin the development of medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (MUAV) which can strengthen the country’s reconnaissance abilities.

• The South Korean government has allocated the budget for weapon modernisation programs to 5% of the overall state budget.

• By the year 2026, South Korea is expected to double its military drone fleets.

South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market Growth

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market growth is aided primarily by rising security concerns and military modernisation programs in the country. For instance, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that it aims to invest around 143.3 billion won from December 2023 to December 2028 for the reconnaissance of the northwestern islands of the country through the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) project.

There is also a surge in the commercialisation of UAVs in the country, supported by the rising demand from the agricultural sector for crop monitoring purposes and by the strategic initiatives of market players. Pablo Air, a provider of drone delivery solutions, announced the opening of its first commercial drone delivery store in the country in July 2022. Their drone delivery service provides customers the facility to order commercial store items through the Allivery (All+Delivery) app.

Moreover, there is a rise in the integration of advanced payloads and sensors in the UAVS such as high-resolution cameras and LiDAR for better collection and analysis abilities. There is also a growing shift towards autonomous UAV systems that can operate at semi-autonomous or fully autonomous levels without any human intervention. These technological advancements are expected to provide versatile UAVs for commercial and military purposes that can boost the South Korea unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market expansion.

The growing emphasis on the miniaturisation of UAVs to improve their manoeuvring abilities and agility is also a crucial trend in South Korea. Furthermore, there is an increased deployment of high-end communication abilities in UAVs to establish seamless communication between UAVs and ground control stations.

South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Industry Segmentation

“South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032” offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Market Breakup by Class

• Small and Medium UAV

• Large UAV

Market Breakup by Systems

• Platform

• Payload

• Datalink

• Ground Control Station

• UAV Launch and Recovery System

Market Breakup by Function

• Inspection and Monitoring

• Remote Sensing

• Product Delivery

• Search and Rescue

• Surveying and Mapping

• Border Management

• Photography and Film Production

• Others

Market Breakup by End Use

• Military and Defence

• Civil and Commercial

• Energy and Power

• Logistics and Transportation

• Construction and Mining

• Others

South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market Share

Small UAVs are in high demand due to the increasing use of mall unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for combat and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, as well as increased defense sector investment. The market has also grown as a result of an increase in start-ups and investor and government funding for the design and development of small UAVs for both military and commercial uses. Small drones have been acquired by militaries for various military purposes. The market for small UAVs has further been expanding due to its increasing use in surveying, oil and gas pipeline monitoring, aerial photography, and 3D mapping, among other fields.

Leading Companies in South Korea Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market

The market players are developing innovative UAV solutions to stay ahead of their competitors.

• Northrop Grumman Corp. 

• BAE Systems Plc 

• Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.

• Boeing Co.

• Airbus SE

• Thales S.A.

• Safran S.A.

• Elbit Systems Ltd.

• Others

Key Highlights of the Report