Pocheon City to Host Korea’s First “Republic of Korea Drone Combat Competition”… Aiming to Become a K-Defense Industry Hub

City to Host 2026 KDCC Finals in September

Real-World Drone Combat to Take Place in Pocheon

Spectacle of 6,000 Drones and Live Competition

Northern Gyeonggi Defense Cluster Accelerates

Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province will host the first-ever “2026 Republic of Korea Drone Combat Competition (2026 KDCC)” this September to promote the advancement of defense unmanned systems (drones) and maximize synergies within related industries.

‘The Hub of K-Defense in Northern Gyeonggi’ Pocheon Takes Off with the 2026 Korea Drone Combat Competition (Drone Light Show Scene). Photo by Pocheon City

This competition will be a multi-ministerial collaborative event involving the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The event is significant not only as a simple technology demonstration, but also as a real-world drone combat competition, aiming to foster the development of defense unmanned systems as well as the growth of related industries. As a result, a wide range of Korean companies, particularly in the drone and counter-drone sectors, are expected to participate.

The idea for the drone combat competition originated from a discussion at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) in October last year. After reviewing several candidate locations nationwide, the Seungjin Science Training Center, which offers the most suitable conditions for a real-world competition, was ultimately selected as the event venue. Preliminary rounds will begin in June, followed by the finals in September.

In the finals, outstanding teams selected from the preliminaries—four drone teams and four counter-drone teams—will compete. In addition, the event will feature exhibitions and demonstrations of cutting-edge unmanned equipment by both major corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as a flight demonstration by the world drone racing champion, promising a competition that is both practical and engaging.

Pocheon City is also preparing related events to ensure the successful hosting of the drone combat competition. During the event, the Hantan River will be the site of Korea’s largest-ever drone light show, featuring 6,000 drones, and an e-sports competition involving both military and civilian participants. These initiatives are expected to revitalize the local economy around the shooting range. Through these efforts, the city aims to develop the competition into a signature science and technology event that combines exhibition and real-world application, driven by collaboration between central and local governments.

Building on this event, Pocheon City plans to accelerate the creation of the Northern Gyeonggi Defense Industry Innovation Cluster. The Gyeonggi Defense Venture Center opened in February this year at the Daejin University Industry-University Cooperation Foundation. Additionally, the Civil-Military Drone (drone, counter-drone, robot, unmanned tactical vehicle) Interoperability and Test Evaluation Center was selected as a Gyeonggi Province regional balanced development project and secured 11 billion won in provincial funding. Based on this, Pocheon intends to establish itself as the hub of the Northern Gyeonggi Defense Industry Innovation Cluster and to launch a specialized advanced defense industry complex.

On April 21, Pocheon City will sign a business agreement with the KAIST Defense Specialization Development Institute to operate a full-cycle education center for civil-military drone education and manufacturing. Starting in the second half of the year, the city will support student hobby and leisure activities as well as educational programs to help the Ministry of National Defense train 500,000 drone warriors, thereby expanding both the drone industry ecosystem and the foundation for cultivating professional talent.

An official from Pocheon City stated, “This drone combat competition will be a turning point for Pocheon to become the hub of K-defense industry in northern Gyeonggi, and it will serve as a symbolic stage showcasing the future of the defense unmanned systems industry, including drones and counter-drones, in action. We will leverage Pocheon’s strong military-government-academic cooperation and real-world infrastructure to ensure the success of the event and create opportunities for the advanced defense industry and the regional economy to grow together.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.