– Signed MOU with MOLIT on the 6th… Construction of a Vertiport at the H1 site in Daehwa-dong, KINTEX
– Establishment of comprehensive infrastructure capable of urban air mobility demonstration, research, and operation
Goyang Special City is poised to take a full leap forward as a key hub city leading South Korea's Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry.
The city announced that it will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport on the 6th for the construction and operation of Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) demonstration infrastructure, and will build a demonstration vertiport at the H1 site in Daehwa-dong near KINTEX.
This agreement is expected to serve as an opportunity for Goyang City to establish itself as a strategic hub for the commercialization of Urban Air Mobility (UAM). By securing a demonstration base capable of actual operation in the urban environment of the metropolitan area and developing it into an industrial infrastructure that can be utilized in the long term, Goyang City will establish the most leading model for fostering the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry among local governments.
The demonstration infrastructure being developed will be constructed in stages, starting with a Free Take-Off and Landing (FATO) area and expanding into a comprehensive vertical take-off and landing (vertiport) that includes a passenger terminal and a hangar. The plan is to complete the FATO area first in 2026 to begin demonstration flights to verify the safety of urban flight operations, and to complete the entire infrastructure, including permanent structures, by the end of 2027.
In particular, the vertical take-off and landing (vertiport) to be built in Goyang City will function as a comprehensive performance test bed based on commercialization, including verification of integrated operational capabilities between flight, traffic management, and the vertiport, aircraft safety testing, and demonstration of a digital-based operational management system. This is expected to be utilized as a core infrastructure that extends beyond a simple demonstration facility to future pilot projects and private commercialization stages.
Goyang City is already considered a region with high potential for linkage with the future mobility industry, based on its urban structure equipped with KINTEX, a large-scale exhibition and convention facility, infrastructure for the broadcasting and video industries, and self-sufficient functions.
The establishment of this Urban Air Mobility (UAM) demonstration infrastructure is expected to be a decisive turning point in extending this urban competitiveness into the future air mobility industry.
In addition, the plan is to develop Goyang City into the central city of South Korea's Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry by creating an industrial ecosystem centered on demonstration infrastructure where research, testing, and corporate activities take place continuously, and by promoting subsequent national projects and the attraction of private investment.
Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, stated, “This agreement is a significant milestone for Goyang Special City to leap forward as a central city of the future mobility industry,” adding, “We will actively attract related companies and research institutions based on our demonstration infrastructure and grow into a city that leads the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry in Korea.”