Mayor of South Korea’s Incheon metropolitan city, Yoo Jeong-bok, has said drone taxis will be up and running between Incheon International Airport and the capital city Seoul in 2025.

“Incheon is considered one of the best places to do business and a great place to invest in (South) Korea by leading companies at home and abroad,” he said.

The mayor was addressing a farewell reception marking the conclusion of the World Journalists Conference 2023 in Incheon on April 28.

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President of Journalists Association of Korea (JAK) Kim Dong Hoon, among others, spoke on the occasion.

South Korea aims to commercialize “drone taxis”, or urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles, aiming to ease traffic congestion on Seoul’s roads though the market for such vehicles is still in its infancy.

Incheon Mayor Jeong-bok said the city is leading South Korea’s future industrial ecosystems of bio, semiconductor, and UAM.

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The city’s bio industry is already recognized as the world’s best, and the world’s second and third semiconductor packaging companies are also based in Incheon.

Incheon boasts a world-class international airport, the northeast Asian logistics hub of Incheon port, the country’s largest free trade zone, 15 international organizations including the Green Climate Fund (GCF), marine tourism resources, and cultural and tourist attractions, said Mayor Jeong-bok.

“I hope that during your short visit, you were able to experience the charm and competitiveness of Incheon,” he said, hoping that the participating journalists from across the world will tell the city’s story in their respective countries.

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The five-day World Journalists Conference-2023 that began in Seoul last Tuesday, sought collaborative efforts for a brighter future for journalism globally.

Deputy Foreign Minister of South Korea, Choi Youngsam, spoke at the opening ceremony of the World Journalists Conference 2023 hosted by JAK and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea.

Under the topic of ‘The Challenge of Journalism for Regional Development’, journalists discussed solution case studies that examine local community issues and propose solutions.

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‘Leadership in the Digital Transformation Era and the Future of Journalism’ was the second topic discussed by the journalists.

The issues related to countering fake news, misinformation and disinformation, advertisement, collaborative journalism and alternative revenue-generating models were also discussed.