Korea’s new aerospace agency to omit current flagship programs

Tech

Published: 27 Jul. 2023, 14:38

Korea’s new aerospace agency to omit current flagship programs

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-II), or Nuri, lifts off from the launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung County, South Jeolla Province on Thursday. [KOREA AEROSPACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE]

Korea’s upcoming aerospace agency — which President Yoon Suk Yeol has been pitching as the country’s own version of NASA — will not house the existing Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) that has been spearheading Korea’s space missions such as the Nuri rocket program.

Instead, KARI as well as the Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute (KASI) will serve as separate mission centers specializing in certain programs or areas, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Thursday.

Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, speaks during a press briefing held in the government complex in central Seoul, Thursday. [NEWS1]

The decision, announced by the ministry in its plan for establishing the tentatively named Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), was met with backlash from the rival Democratic Party and KARI scientists.

Critics argue that excluding KARI and KASI from KASA will only further fragmentize the system and slow down progress.

A space agency was one of the Yoon administration’s national agenda items. It was billed as being a centralized authority to bring together all the disparate elements of the current space programs scattered around in various divisions and agencies.

"We will set up an aerospace agency similar to the NASA of the United States," said Yoon in August last year, during a press conference marking his 100th day in office.

According to the Science Ministry's latest plan, KASA will be headed by a vice-minister-level commissioner and have seven departments for launch vehicles, space science and exploration, satellites, advanced aerospace, aerospace policies, aerospace business and international cooperation.

Lee Jong-ho, the minister of science and ICT, said that “the personnel will be less than 300”, with a budget of around 700 to 720 billion won ($550 to 565 million) tentatively set up for next year, during a press briefing held in the government complex in central Seoul.

The Yoon administration declared in November last year that it will set up KASA this year.

Korea has completed three test launches of the domestically-developed Nuri rocket so far. Three more launches are scheduled until 2027 under the launch vehicle advancement program, aimed at improving the reliability of the Nuri rocket with a budget of 687.4 billion won.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]