Plan

Drone rules: South Korea

Last checked: October 1, 2026

Allowed with conditions

Flying is allowed, but with conditions you need to know before you travel.

Allowed, but in airport control zones and restricted areas – including large parts of Seoul – every flight needs approval via the Drone One-Stop portal.

Travel check for South KoreaChecklist for your trip: registration, insurance, drone and batteries on the plane.

Maximum altitude

150 m

Registration

Not required

Private drones only from 2 kg take-off weight, commercial ones always. An extension to lighter private drones is in the legislative process.

Insurance

Not required

Only required for commercial operators.

Depending on drone weight

From 2 kg· Registration: RequiredOver 2 kg registration with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS).

For tourists

Check the map in the Drone One-Stop app or portal before every flight. Flying near the inter-Korean border and military sites is off limits.

Further rules

In South Korea, drones are generally subject to registration: commercially used devices must be registered regardless of weight, whereas private recreational drones only from a take-off weight of 2 kilograms; registration must be completed with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority within 30 days of purchase.
Flights at or above 150 metres above ground, as well as any flights within airport control zones with a radius of around 9.3 kilometres and in designated no-fly zones, require separate clearance via the Drone One-Stop online portal of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
A legal insurance requirement applies only to commercial providers, rental companies, leisure sports businesses and government drones, not to private hobby pilots without commercial use.
Foreign tourists are generally allowed to bring in and fly drones, but need prior online approval for flights in sensitive areas such as near the inter-Korean border, military installations or airports; in practice, the lack of a local registered address sometimes makes registering larger aircraft more difficult.
Unregistered flights can be punished with up to six months in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won; unauthorised flights in restricted areas or above 150 metres with fines of up to 5 million and 3 million won respectively.

Sources

This overview is not legal advice and not an official statement — laws change, and we cannot guarantee that every entry is fully up to date. Before your flight, please also check the official source or the local civil aviation authority.