Seoul to host international drone racing World Cup in October

Seoul will host the 2026 Seoul International Drone Racing World Cup on Oct. 23 and 24 at Gwangnaru Hangang Drone Park in eastern Seoul. About 60 pilots from 10 countries will race through obstacle courses using first-person-view goggles. The winner will receive the Seoul Mayor's Award and 5 million won. The event will also add hands-on drone activities and separate racing and safety zones.

The competition is now in its second year and will use qualifying rounds followed by a single-elimination final tournament.

Visitors will be able to try drone basketball, drone fishing, racing simulators, career counseling, drone assembly and coding classes.

Children and teenagers can pilot drones themselves, assemble parts and write simple code to control flight paths.

The Korea-China-Japan Drone Soccer Open International Cup will be held alongside the racing event.

The city said it will control drone flight zones, maintain safe viewing distances, station safety personnel and run a joint on-site command center.

Published Sep 15, 2026 11:08 am KST

A promotional poster for the "2026 Seoul International Drone Racing World Cup" / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will host the "2026 Seoul International Drone Racing World Cup" on Oct. 23 and 24 at Gwangnaru Hangang Drone Park in eastern Seoul, where pilots will fly high-speed racing drones through obstacle courses using first-person-view goggles.

Now in its second year, the event will draw about 60 pilots from 10 countries who will compete through qualifying rounds into a single-elimination final tournament. The winner will receive the Seoul Mayor's Award and a cash prize of 5 million won ($3,600).

This year's edition expands beyond spectator racing to hands-on activities. Alongside the racing course, visitors can try drone basketball and drone fishing, test racing simulators, get career counseling and take part in drone assembly and coding classes. Children and teenagers will be able to pilot drones themselves, put together drone parts and write simple code to control a drone's flight path, the city said, calling it a way to introduce young people to the technology and to careers in the field.

The Korea-China-Japan Drone Soccer Open International Cup, a tournament in a separate sport in which players fly ball-shaped drones through a suspended ring to score goals, will also be held alongside the racing event, giving visitors a chance to see multiple drone sports in one place.

The city said it would keep racing and hands-on activity areas separate and step up on-site safety measures, including controlling drone flight zones, maintaining safe viewing distances for spectators, stationing safety personnel along walkways and running a joint on-site command center.

Details on the schedule, competition and public programs are available on the official World Cup website run by the aeromodelling association overseeing the event.

"The Seoul International Drone Racing World Cup made a successful debut last year with matches by world-class pilots and strong public interest," a Seoul city official said.

"This year, we are strengthening both the competitiveness of the international tournament and public participation programs to build an even richer festival, and preparing thoroughly for Seoul to leap forward as a global hub city for drone sports."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

2026年首尔国际无人机竞速世界杯将于10月23日至24日在首尔东部的广渡汉江无人机公园举行。届时，来自10个国家的约60名飞行员将佩戴第一人称视角（FPV）眼镜，在障碍赛道上展开角逐。冠军将获得首尔市长奖及500万韩元奖金。本次赛事还将增设无人机体验活动，并设立独立的比赛区和安全区。

该赛事今年已是第二届，将采用资格赛制，然后进行单淘汰制决赛。

参观者将有机会体验无人机篮球、无人机钓鱼、赛车模拟器、职业咨询、无人机组装和编程课程。

儿童和青少年可以自己操控无人机，组装零件，并编写简单的代码来控制飞行路线。

韩中日无人机足球公开国际杯将与本次比赛同期举行。

该市表示将管控无人机飞行区域，保持安全观看距离，部署安全人员，并设立联合现场指挥中心。

发布于2026年9月15日上午11:08（韩国标准时间）

2026年首尔国际无人机竞速世界杯宣传海报 / 图片由首尔市政府提供

首尔市政府表示，将于10月23日至24日在首尔东部的广渡汉江无人机公园举办“2026首尔国际无人机竞速世界杯”，届时飞行员将佩戴第一人称视角护目镜，操控高速竞速无人机穿越障碍赛道。

这项赛事今年已是第二届，将吸引来自10个国家的约60名飞行员参加，他们将通过资格赛角逐，最终进入单败淘汰制的决赛。获胜者将获得首尔市长奖和500万韩元（约合3600美元）的现金奖励。

今年的活动不仅包括观赏性无人机竞速，还增添了许多动手实践环节。除了赛道之外，游客还可以体验无人机篮球和无人机钓鱼，试玩无人机竞速模拟器，获得职业咨询，并参加无人机组装和编程课程。市政府表示，儿童和青少年将有机会亲自操控无人机，组装无人机部件，并编写简单的代码来控制无人机的飞行路线。此举旨在向年轻人介绍这项技术以及相关领域的职业发展前景。

韩国-中国-日本无人机足球公开国际杯是一项独立的运动赛事，参赛选手操控球形无人机穿过悬挂的圆环射门得分。该赛事也将与竞速比赛同时举行，让游客有机会在一个地方观看多种无人机运动。

该市表示，将把赛车和动手活动区域分开，并加强现场安全措施，包括控制无人机飞行区域、保持观众的安全观看距离、在人行道上部署安全人员以及设立联合现场指挥中心。

有关赛程、比赛和公众活动的详细信息，请访问负责该赛事的航空模型协会运营的世界杯官方网站。

首尔市一位官员表示：“首尔国际无人机竞速世界杯去年首次举办便取得了成功，世界级飞行员的参赛以及公众的浓厚兴趣都引起了广泛关注。”

“今年，我们将加强国际赛事的竞争力，并推进公众参与项目，打造更加丰富的赛事，为首尔成为全球无人机运动中心城市做好充分准备。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。