Seoul asks government to ease drone use rules

Seoul city on Monday urged the South Korean government to ease drone regulations as part of its plans to use the unmanned aerial vehicles for the public.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government requested the defence and transport ministries to simplify the approvals process for drone use for monitoring the city's traffic status, officials said.

Under current rules, flying drones of over 12 kg requires a permit from the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration.

Regardless of the weight, taking pictures with drones or flying them in restricted areas also needs approval from the defence ministry, the Korea Herald reported.

Seoul city has been using drones under 12 kg for monitoring and analysing the traffic status and checking traffic facilities.

The city has been actively utilising drones in various sectors. In August, the city decided to adopt drones in search and rescue operations at disaster scenes.

It is currently flying two drones in the fire and disaster department on a trial basis, authorities said.