경찰 드론의 법 제도에 관한 연구 = A Study on the Legal System for Police Drones

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

As police activities shift from a personnel-centered approach to a technology-centered model, advancements in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things have expanded the scope of crime into more intelligent, sophisticated, and concealed forms, reaching beyond physical reality into virtual spaces. Such changes in the security environment have increased the burden on the police in safeguarding the lives, bodies, and property of citizens, thereby heightening the need for active utilization of science and technology–based equipment such as drones. Although the Police Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operation Regulations, enacted in 2024, provide operational procedures and safety standards for police drones, the higher-level legal basis for drone operation has yet to be clearly established. In particular, it remains unclear whether drones fall under the category of “aircraft” as stipulated in Article 10(2) of the Police Officers’ Duties Execution Act. Moreover, the use of drones for search, surveillance, and investigative purposes potentially conflicts with the Personal Information Protection Act, Location Information Protection Act, and Criminal Procedure Act. Concerns over possible infringements of individual privacy arising from drone-based data collection also highlight the need for legal refinement. This study analyzes the legal issues emerging from the expanded use of police drones in a rapidly changing security environment and examines the need to improve relevant legal frameworks concerning personal information protection, location data usage, police authority in duty execution, and procedural legitimacy under criminal law. The study primarily employs a literature review method and acknowledges the limitation of not incorporating empirical or quantitative analysis.