---
title: "South Korea Encourages Mask Wearing With Massive Drone-Powered Light Show"
description: "South Korean officials dispatched three hundred drones over the Han river in Seoul as part of a massive light show to thank workers at the frontlines."
date: "2020-07-06"
modified: "2020-07-06"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/south-korea-mask-wearing-drone-light-show"
categories:
  - "Drones"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "coronavirus"
  - "covid19"
  - "Pandemic"
  - "South Korea"
  - "the digest"
---

# South Korea Encourages Mask Wearing With Massive Drone-Powered Light Show

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/south-korea-drone-light-show-healthcare-workers.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport\</em\>*

## Drone Show

It's a pandemic of global proportions and healthcare officials are desperate to get the word out: social distancing, washing hands, and wearing masks are all proven and effective ways to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

And governments are getting more and more creative in the many ways they're trying to get that message out there. Take South Korea, where [*France 24* reports](<https://www.france24.com/en/20200706-hundreds-of-drones-light-up-seoul-sky-with-virus-messages>) that officials dispatched three hundred drones over the Han river in Seoul as part of a massive light show to thank workers at the frontlines.

https://youtu.be/xprct0rjsAQ

## Cheer Up

The ten minute show started off with public service announcements about the importance of washing hands, social distancing, and wearing masks.

"Cheer up, Republic of Korea," the drones spelled out towards the end of the show, according to *France 24*.

South Korea was one of the earliest countries to [mandate](<https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/south-korea-to-require-face-masks-on-transit-flights-1.4953050>) the wearing of masks on mass transit and flights. The country's track record in fighting the virus has been [exceptional](<https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/whats-south-koreas-secret/611215/>), including early-on mass testing and widespread mask use.

**READ MORE:** [South Korean drone display reminds watchers to wash hands and wear masks](<https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/7/6/21314574/drone-display-south-korea-wear-masks-wash-hands-thank-healthcare-workers-coronavirus>) \[*The Verge*\]

**More on the pandemic:** [*Did the Media Get Suckered by a Fake Story About College Kids Catching COVID on Purpose?*](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/fake-story-college-kids-covid>)

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)