Aerial photos of greenbelt zones from half a century ago to go online

Analog aerial photographs of greenbelt zones taken up to half a century ago will soon be accessible online through a new digitization initiative.

The National Geographic Information Institute under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Friday that it plans to convert analog aerial photographs into digital geospatial data and expand online viewing and issuance services through the National Land Information Platform, aiming to improve public convenience and boost the administrative utility of local governments.

The institute held a project launch briefing at the South Gyeongsang Provincial Government building that day and signed an MOU with South Gyeongsang Province to advance the digital conversion of analog aerial photographs and expand their shared use. The project is titled "Construction of a Greenbelt Zone Analog Aerial Photo Database."

Under the agreement, South Gyeongsang Province will provide the foundational materials needed for digitization — including transferring analog aerial photo records and compiling inventories — to support smooth project execution. The institute will then carry out the digital conversion in stages and launch full online services. Through the project, the two agencies plan to systematically preserve analog aerial photographs of greenbelt zones accumulated by the provincial government since 1974, and to significantly improve administrative accessibility for both central and local governments as well as the general public.

Aerial photographs have long served as essential baseline data across a wide range of administrative functions, including development permit reviews, conservation levy assessments, environmental impact evaluations and national property management. However, analog aerial photographs of greenbelt zones held by local governments have been stored for extended periods in film or paper form, raising growing concerns about deterioration and degradation and making an urgent digital conversion necessary. Following a survey of demand among local governments, the institute selected South Gyeongsang Province as the first target for the project. This year, it will invest 1 billion won ($662,000) to convert approximately 21,000 of the roughly 100,000 analog aerial photographs held by the province into high-resolution digital files as a priority.

Once the project is complete, members of the public will be able to search and view analog aerial photographs from across the country online through the National Land Information Platform without having to visit local government offices in person. The institute expects that comparing and analyzing aerial photographs compiled year by year will significantly expand the utility of the national geospatial information infrastructure — not only for greenbelt management but also for urban planning policy decisions, permit reviews and the resolution of land boundary disputes.

"This MOU is an exemplary cooperation model for preserving and utilizing important analog geospatial information held by local governments by linking it to the national geospatial information infrastructure," National Geographic Information Institute Director Kim Won-dae said. "We will continue to efficiently connect and build on the important geospatial information held by local governments to enhance administrative reliability."