"Can we order a pizza at home and receive it from a drone?" To this question, a government official replied, "In most cases, no," at a recent government- private sector meeting on deregulation to foster new industries.
Of course, a pizza parlor can fly a drone and deliver a pizza with it. According to regulations, however, the pizza-carrying drone should remain within the visible range of its operator. The pilot has to follow his drone, worried it might spiral down. Nor can the pizza parlor accept orders at night and deliver them to their customers with drones.
All this reflects concerns about the government's optimistic expectations about turning the industry into a new growth engine by relaxing regulations on flying drones, industry officials said.
In the Cheong Wa Dae meeting Wednesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it would allow the use of drones for most sectors except for those related with public safety and national security, would make it easier to foster operating manpower and lower the entry barriers for new applicants. The ministry expects the industry to create 31,000 jobs and add 12.7 trillion won ($10.6 billion) to the economy.
The industry welcomed the move, of course, saying various regulations have hampered the growth of this new enterprise that has great potential, and expressed hope that the government will come up with various policy supports.
Others are more skeptical about the government's goal, however, saying that such excessive illusions about commercial drones will surely turn into disappointment.
Above all, drones can hardly replace the existing home delivery system in operation.
The current mode of using motor vehicles is far more advantageous given Korea's domestic geographic conditions and residential structure focusing on high-rise apartments, the critics said, adding that up to 70 percent of the delivery demand is concentrated in Seoul and the surrounding area of Gyeonggi Province. In Korea, national delivery in almost all cases is routine and inexpensive from Seoul to Jeju Island by the following day by conventional means, reducing the effectiveness, if not the necessity, of delivery by drone.
Add to this the safety problems, weight of parcels, confirmation of parcels delivered, delivery costs and retrieval of drones after delivery, and drone delivery service becomes far trickier than previously imagined, they said.
"Drone enthusiasts in the United States are quite eager to introduce commercial drone delivery because they maintain it will be effective in rural areas where distances are vast and there are few high-rise buildings," said an industry executive. "In Korea, there is not much need for drone delivery except perhaps in some mountainous areas or to remote disaster scenes that might be difficult to reach with motor vehicles."
An expert agreed. "Drones are mostly powered by batteries, and their average travel range still remains short with most of them unable to fly for more than an hour depending on the weight of the parcels they would carry and weather conditions," said a university professor wanting to remain anonymous. "I have the impression that the government is bent on promoting only the positive aspects of drones without realistic considerations."
Contrary to the government's explanations, many regulations also remain in place. For instance, drone flights are prohibited beyond visible range, in densely-populated areas, at night and near airports and other important state facilities. The government plans to allow flights under these conditions on a limited basis after verifying safety problems but is yet to unveil criteria for such verification.
Safety problems have not been solved even in countries with advanced drone technology and infrastructure, the experts said. Drones often crash, no matter what country they operate in, and controversies remain about the infringement on privacy by photo-taking drones, expensive operating costs and the possibility to be abused as military weapons, they said.
Of course, a pizza parlor can fly a drone and deliver a pizza with it. According to regulations, however, the pizza-carrying drone should remain within the visible range of its operator. The pilot has to follow his drone, worried it might spiral down. Nor can the pizza parlor accept orders at night and deliver them to their customers with drones.
All this reflects concerns about the government's optimistic expectations about turning the industry into a new growth engine by relaxing regulations on flying drones, industry officials said.
In the Cheong Wa Dae meeting Wednesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it would allow the use of drones for most sectors except for those related with public safety and national security, would make it easier to foster operating manpower and lower the entry barriers for new applicants. The ministry expects the industry to create 31,000 jobs and add 12.7 trillion won ($10.6 billion) to the economy.
The industry welcomed the move, of course, saying various regulations have hampered the growth of this new enterprise that has great potential, and expressed hope that the government will come up with various policy supports.
Others are more skeptical about the government's goal, however, saying that such excessive illusions about commercial drones will surely turn into disappointment.
Above all, drones can hardly replace the existing home delivery system in operation.
The current mode of using motor vehicles is far more advantageous given Korea's domestic geographic conditions and residential structure focusing on high-rise apartments, the critics said, adding that up to 70 percent of the delivery demand is concentrated in Seoul and the surrounding area of Gyeonggi Province. In Korea, national delivery in almost all cases is routine and inexpensive from Seoul to Jeju Island by the following day by conventional means, reducing the effectiveness, if not the necessity, of delivery by drone.
Add to this the safety problems, weight of parcels, confirmation of parcels delivered, delivery costs and retrieval of drones after delivery, and drone delivery service becomes far trickier than previously imagined, they said.
"Drone enthusiasts in the United States are quite eager to introduce commercial drone delivery because they maintain it will be effective in rural areas where distances are vast and there are few high-rise buildings," said an industry executive. "In Korea, there is not much need for drone delivery except perhaps in some mountainous areas or to remote disaster scenes that might be difficult to reach with motor vehicles."
An expert agreed. "Drones are mostly powered by batteries, and their average travel range still remains short with most of them unable to fly for more than an hour depending on the weight of the parcels they would carry and weather conditions," said a university professor wanting to remain anonymous. "I have the impression that the government is bent on promoting only the positive aspects of drones without realistic considerations."
Contrary to the government's explanations, many regulations also remain in place. For instance, drone flights are prohibited beyond visible range, in densely-populated areas, at night and near airports and other important state facilities. The government plans to allow flights under these conditions on a limited basis after verifying safety problems but is yet to unveil criteria for such verification.
Safety problems have not been solved even in countries with advanced drone technology and infrastructure, the experts said. Drones often crash, no matter what country they operate in, and controversies remain about the infringement on privacy by photo-taking drones, expensive operating costs and the possibility to be abused as military weapons, they said.
Of course, a pizza parlor can fly a drone and deliver a pizza with it. According to regulations, however, the pizza-carrying drone should remain within the visible range of its operator. The pilot has to follow his drone, worried it might spiral down. Nor can the pizza parlor accept orders at night and deliver them to their customers with drones.
All this reflects concerns about the government's optimistic expectations about turning the industry into a new growth engine by relaxing regulations on flying drones, industry officials said.
In the Cheong Wa Dae meeting Wednesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it would allow the use of drones for most sectors except for those related with public safety and national security, would make it easier to foster operating manpower and lower the entry barriers for new applicants. The ministry expects the industry to create 31,000 jobs and add 12.7 trillion won ($10.6 billion) to the economy.
The industry welcomed the move, of course, saying various regulations have hampered the growth of this new enterprise that has great potential, and expressed hope that the government will come up with various policy supports.
Others are more skeptical about the government's goal, however, saying that such excessive illusions about commercial drones will surely turn into disappointment.
Above all, drones can hardly replace the existing home delivery system in operation.
The current mode of using motor vehicles is far more advantageous given Korea's domestic geographic conditions and residential structure focusing on high-rise apartments, the critics said, adding that up to 70 percent of the delivery demand is concentrated in Seoul and the surrounding area of Gyeonggi Province. In Korea, national delivery in almost all cases is routine and inexpensive from Seoul to Jeju Island by the following day by conventional means, reducing the effectiveness, if not the necessity, of delivery by drone.
Add to this the safety problems, weight of parcels, confirmation of parcels delivered, delivery costs and retrieval of drones after delivery, and drone delivery service becomes far trickier than previously imagined, they said.
"Drone enthusiasts in the United States are quite eager to introduce commercial drone delivery because they maintain it will be effective in rural areas where distances are vast and there are few high-rise buildings," said an industry executive. "In Korea, there is not much need for drone delivery except perhaps in some mountainous areas or to remote disaster scenes that might be difficult to reach with motor vehicles."
An expert agreed. "Drones are mostly powered by batteries, and their average travel range still remains short with most of them unable to fly for more than an hour depending on the weight of the parcels they would carry and weather conditions," said a university professor wanting to remain anonymous. "I have the impression that the government is bent on promoting only the positive aspects of drones without realistic considerations."
Contrary to the government's explanations, many regulations also remain in place. For instance, drone flights are prohibited beyond visible range, in densely-populated areas, at night and near airports and other important state facilities. The government plans to allow flights under these conditions on a limited basis after verifying safety problems but is yet to unveil criteria for such verification.
Safety problems have not been solved even in countries with advanced drone technology and infrastructure, the experts said. Drones often crash, no matter what country they operate in, and controversies remain about the infringement on privacy by photo-taking drones, expensive operating costs and the possibility to be abused as military weapons, they said.