Goyang Mayor Min Kyungseon Kicks Off 'Future Skies,' Laying Groundwork for UAM Commercialization

Goyang Opens Drone/UAM Expo and Digital Media Tech Show
Verti and Japan's SkyDrive Sign UAM Agreement
KRW 20.19 Billion in Government Funding for Test Center and Vertiport
Test Center Set for Completion at End of 2027; Advanced Technologies on Display Through November 6
Mayor Min: "We Will Make Goyang a Hub for the Future Aviation Industry Through Drones and UAM"

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province has joined forces with domestic and international companies to lay the groundwork for the commercialization of urban air mobility (UAM). The city plans to integrate private companies’ aircraft manufacturing and flight-management technologies into a test facility being built near KINTEX, with the aim of moving from trial operations to commercialization.

Goyang Mayor Min Gyeongseon delivers congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Drone and Urban Air Mobility Expo at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 on the 4th.

At the opening ceremony of the 2026 Drone and Urban Air Mobility Expo at Exhibition Hall 1 of KINTEX on November 4, Goyang City, led by Mayor Min Kyungseon, signed an agreement with Verti, a Korean company specializing in integrated UAM operations, and Japan’s SkyDrive, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer. Attendees at the signing ceremony included Goyang Mayor Min Kyungseon, Verti CEO Kim Dongwoo, and SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa.

The three parties agreed to pursue UAM testing, trial operations, and commercialization in Goyang, and to identify joint projects that draw on each organization’s expertise. Through working-level discussions, they plan to develop service models and testing projects suited to local conditions.

Verti is developing an integrated operations system that connects all stages of flight, from flight planning to operations and traffic management, as well as the operation of vertiports, or vertical takeoff and landing sites. SkyDrive, headquartered in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is working to commercialize eVTOL aircraft for short-distance travel in urban and tourist areas.

Goyang Mayor Min Kyung-sun poses for a commemorative photo with representatives from Verti and Japan’s SkyDrive after signing an MOU to lay the groundwork for UAM commercialization at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Drone and Urban Air Mobility Expo, held at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 on the 4th. Provided by Goyang City.

Goyang City is building the KINTEX UAM Test Center and a vertiport, covering approximately 15,085 square meters in the Daehwa-dong area of Ilsanseo-gu, with approximately KRW 20.19 billion in central government funding. After construction is completed at the end of 2027, the city plans to comprehensively test aircraft operations, traffic management, and vertiport operations, while connecting these efforts with research and business support functions.

Goyang City is also pursuing designation as a UAM pilot operation zone in 2027. It will first consider a tourism service linking KINTEX and the Han River waterfront, then seek to expand the service in stages to connect with Gimpo International Airport and provide regional transportation across the Seoul metropolitan area.

Mayor Min Kyungseon said, "This agreement is a first step toward turning UAM into an actual service by connecting the aircraft operations, traffic management, and vertiport operation capabilities of our partners with the testing infrastructure Goyang City is building. We will expand cooperation with domestic and international specialist companies and relevant organizations to develop Goyang into a hub for testing and commercializing the future aviation industry in the Seoul metropolitan area."

Goyang Mayor Min Gyeongseon tours exhibition booths and listens to an exhibitor explain its products at the 2026 Drone and Urban Air Mobility Expo, held at KINTEX Exhibition Center 1 on the 4th. Photo by Lee Jonggu

The 2026 Digital Media Tech Show (DMTS) also opened at KINTEX on November 4. Both exhibitions will run through November 6.

Now in its third year, the Drone and Urban Air Mobility Expo features companies and organizations including Korean Air, LIG D&A, and Korea Airports Corporation, showcasing drones and UAM aircraft, vertiports, and anti-drone technologies. At the joint exhibition booth of Verti and SkyDrive, visitors can learn about an operating system that connects aircraft, flight operations, traffic management, and vertiports through displays of an integrated UAM operations system and a scale model of an eVTOL aircraft.

The Digital Media Tech Show features generative artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), immersive content, and broadcast and video technologies. During the event, professional conferences and business meetings on purchasing, exports, and investment will be held. Public programs will also take place, including drone piloting experiences and international drone and robot coding competitions.

Goyang Mayor Min Kyung-sun (right) examines a drone on display with other guests at the 2026 Drone and Urban Air Mobility Expo, held at KINTEX Exhibition Center 1 on the 4th. Photo by Lee Jong-gu

Mayor Min Kyungseon said, "With both events taking place together, I hope they will provide a forum for exchange that expands cooperation across industries and creates new business opportunities. We will do our utmost to foster an industrial ecosystem in which companies and industries grow together by actively supporting technology development, testing, and commercialization, and to ensure that these efforts lead to the creation of quality jobs."

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