South Korean drone exports rose sharply this year, driven by growing demand in the United States, the Middle East and other markets, government data showed.
Shipments of drones, related services and software reached $2.5 million in the first 11 months of 2025, a 58% increase from $1.5 million during the same period a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The number of countries importing South Korean drones expanded from 13 to 30 over the same period.
The United Arab Emirates was the largest destination by value, followed by the U.S. and Uzbekistan. Exports extended across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
The ministry said airframes accounted for 84% of total exports, including vertical takeoff and landing models, multipurpose platforms and drones for monitoring and imaging.
Services such as infrastructure inspection made up 13%, while components and software—including fish-school detection systems—represented 3%.
The growth follows a push by South Korean authorities to promote the industry overseas through events such as drone roadshows in the U.S. and Japan and the opening of a drone academy in Ghana.
This year, South Korean agencies signed 59 agreements with partners in 29 countries and carried out 20 overseas pilot projects involving drone operations.
“The government plans to continue promoting domestically developed drones, components and services abroad next year,” said Kim Young-kuk, director general for aviation policy at the ministry, pointing to plans including the 2026 Korea Drone Expo and a Global Drone Cooperation Conference
