The number of registered drones in South Korea has increased sevenfold over the past five years, reflecting their growing role in daily life and industry.

As of April, 67,902 drones were registered with authorities -- an increase of nearly 3,000 from 64,863 recorded at the end of last year, according to data from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Drone registrations have risen dramatically in recent years, climbing from 2,226 in 2016 to 9,848 in 2019. Growth accelerated in the 2020s, driven by several factors: The introduction of the Drone Act in May 2020 that eased regulations, the expansion of contactless services during the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological advances that expanded drone use across sectors such as logistics, industry and agriculture.

Between 2020 and 2023, drone registrations more than tripled from 16,159 to 52,387, averaging around 1,000 new drones per month over the past three years.