Starlink Korea registered as telecommunications carrier

SpaceX's Starlink website shows that its satellite internet service is slated for operation in Korea in the second quarter of this year. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Space X’s local affiliate Starlink Korea was registered as a telecommunications carrier in Korea.

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Friday announced that it approved Starlink Korea as a telecommunication carrier upon review of its financial and technological capabilities and plans for user protection.

The next phase for Starlink Korea is to roll out its telecommunications service by signing a cross-border supply agreement with the California-based SpaceX and receiving another nod from the Science Ministry on the agreement’s validity.

The Starlink service is scheduled to kick off in the second quarter of this year, according to SpaceX’s website.

SpaceX on Jan. 5 filed a business registration to offer satellite-based internet and IOT (internet-of-things) service in Korea. Starlink Korea was registered as a limited liability company in Seoul on March 8.

Launched in 2020, the Starlink satellite internet service is currently available in over 50 countries, including the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan, with over 4,000 low Earth orbit satellites deployed.

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]