Korean teenager wins at int'l drone competition

Twelve year-old Korean drone pilot Kim Min-chang, right, talks to his teammates during the World Drone Prix in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on March 10. Kim won the freestyle event at the international competition. / Courtesy of KT

By Yoon Sung-won

Korean preteen Kim Min-chan has shown his talent for piloting drones by winning at an international drone competition only three months after he started flying them.

The 12-year-old joined in the World Drone Prix in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, last month, clinching a win as the youngest participant in the competition’s history, according to KT. Kim was part of the telecom company’s three-person drone-racing team GiGA 5.

Kim, who settled for the round of 16 in the racing match, won the top perch in the freestyle match by performing stunts including his unique somersault flying.

Kim, who is a sixth grader at Bongilcheon Elementary School in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, said he wants to become a fighter pilot in the future.

“I will continue to be a competitive drone racer,” Kim said. “But at the same time, I will study hard and enter the Air Force Academy. It’s my dream to pilot a real fighter.”

The world’s top drone pilots competed with Kim in the international event, with a total of $1 million in prize money was up for the grabs.

Kim flew his drone faster than 120 kilometers per hour and did not make mistakes while performing stunts in three minutes. However, the connection between the camera unit on Kim’s drone and the control goggles caused troubles right before a match. But he controlled his drone with his bare eyes without the goggles, which is considered difficult even for adult players.

With his win in the freestyle match, Kim earned $50,000.

Kim first started learning how to fly a remote-controlled (RC) helicopter from his father when he was only three years old. At the age of five, he joined an RC chopper racing competition.

Kim did not train for drones for long, only starting early this year, but he won a domestic drone racing competition held in Busan in January. This was when he was scouted by KT’s team.

Kim said he will participate in another domestic drone race jointly hosted by KT and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation next month. He is also scheduled to compete in an international event in Hawaii in September.