Did Progressive Governments Neglect Space Development? Fact Check Results [Reading Science]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] “The Moon Jae-in administration cut the space development budget and now tries to take credit for the achievements.” vs “It was worse during the Lee Myung-bak administration, so what are you talking about?”

On the 25th of last month, when President Moon Jae-in officially declared the leap to become the '7th largest space development power in the world' after attending the successful comprehensive combustion test of the first stage of the Korean launch vehicle 'Nuriho,' controversy arose among progressive and conservative citizens. The core issue is which administration?progressive or conservative?deserves more credit for the rapidly advancing space development worldwide.

The claims from both progressive and conservative sides regarding government investment in space development are partly correct and partly incorrect. As is well known, South Korea did not invest in 'space development' at the government level until the mid-1990s. However, in April 1996, the government established a mid- to long-term basic plan for space development and began investing seriously in space development. Since then, government investment in space development has steadily increased.

Annual Space Development Budget Scale. Source=Space Development White Paper (Ministry of Science and ICT)

As shown in the chart, the government's space development budget steadily increased, surpassing 100 billion KRW in 2001. It exceeded 300 billion KRW in 2006. However, it decreased during the Lee Myung-bak administration, falling to the low 200 billion KRW range (221 million USD) in 2012, the final year of that administration. But under the Park Geun-hye administration, it began to rise sharply again, surpassing 700 billion KRW for the first time in 2016. Since then, it has maintained around 600 billion KRW. Under the Moon Jae-in administration, it decreased to 662 million USD in 2018 and 596 million USD in 2019, then increased again to 722 million USD in 2020 (all figures include civilian use).

This year, a total government budget of 615 billion KRW is being invested, with 178 billion KRW allocated to the development of the space launch vehicle 'Nuriho,' 312.2 billion KRW for satellite development, 62.3 billion KRW for lunar exploration and space surveillance, 300 million KRW for the Korean Positioning System (KPS) construction, 18.3 billion KRW for creating a space innovation ecosystem, and 10.4 billion KRW for fostering the space industry and job creation. As of 2020, the total investment in space development since the 1990s is approximately 7.72 trillion KRW and continues to increase.

On the afternoon of the 28th, at the Naro Space Center launch pad in Bongrae-myeon, Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do, a test launch vehicle for the Korean launch vehicle Nuriho's engine emitted white smoke and soared into the sky. This engine test launch vehicle is designed to verify the performance of the 75-ton liquid engine used in the Korean launch vehicle 'Nuriho' and corresponds to the second stage of Nuriho, which consists of a total of three stages. The test launch vehicle is 25.8 meters long, has a maximum diameter of 2.6 meters, and weighs 52.1 tons. / Goheung = Photo by Joint Press Corps

Currently, South Korea is investing in space development according to the '3rd Basic Plan for Space Development Promotion,' finalized in February 2018. Experts explain that the reason for the partial decrease and stagnation in the space development budget in the early 2010s was due to the repeated failures of the 'Naroho' space launch vehicle, which was being developed partly with Russian technology, leading to a temporary suspension of investment in the launch vehicle sector until successful completion. Additionally, rapid growth from 2012 to 2016 was followed by a decline as large-scale projects ended.

In conclusion, since the full-scale start of space development, successive administrations, regardless of political orientation, have played their roles. President Kim Young-sam laid the foundation by establishing the first government-level mid- to long-term space development plan. President Kim Dae-jung made the decisive move to develop an independent space launch vehicle in 1998 despite the foreign exchange crisis. President Roh Moo-hyun established a proper legal, institutional, and budgetary framework to support South Korea's space development. In 2005, the Space Development Promotion Act was enacted, establishing the Presidential National Space Committee, legally mandating the formulation of a basic space development promotion plan every five years, and setting the lunar exploration plan in 2007.

However, during President Lee Myung-bak's term, public opinion turned cold due to repeated failures in the Naroho development, and government investment in space development dwindled partly due to the 2009 US-originated financial crisis. After the successful launch of Naroho in 2013, the Park Geun-hye administration established a mid- to long-term space development plan for 2040, setting a long-term direction for space development. Detailed strategies such as space technology industrialization and comprehensive satellite information utilization plans were also created. However, there was political controversy when the originally planned lunar exploration after 2020 was hastily moved forward within the administration's term, leading to backlash from field scientists and technical limitations, resulting in delays. President Moon Jae-in has shown enthusiasm by reorganizing the lunar exploration plan through the 3rd Basic Plan for Space Development Promotion in February 2018 and declaring a lunar landing plan by 2030.

Regardless of progressive or conservative governments, efforts have been made to increase investment steadily from a long-term perspective and to establish legal and institutional foundations for space development.

Government interest and investment in space development are expected to continue. While national prestige has been emphasized so far, the government plans to pursue tangible economic benefits through private industry activation such as satellite exports, and to improve citizens' safety and quality of life through military satellites and the Korean Positioning System (KPS) development, continuing new investments in space development.

Conceptual image of Korean-style lunar exploration.