[Special Stock] AP Satellite, Korea Joins US-Led 8-Nation Lunar Exploration 'Artemis Alliance'... Global Satellite Communication 3rd Place

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] Related stocks such as AP Satellite and Satrec Initiative are showing strong performance following news that South Korea will participate in the lunar exploration alliance led by the United States.

On the 18th at 11:54 a.m., AP Satellite was trading at 15,650 KRW, up 13.41% from the previous day. Satrec Initiative is also rising more than 4%.

On this day, an economic newspaper reported that South Korea and the United States have agreed to conclude the 'Artemis Accords' and are in the final preparation stage for signing. It is known that the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are in final coordination with NASA to include the wording in the upcoming Korea-US summit on the 21st.

The Artemis Accords are agreements covering the peaceful operation of lunar bases and cooperation in lunar resource development. It is also evaluated that the alliance was formed to counter China's rapidly advancing moves, such as the successful landing of its Mars probe on the Martian surface.

This accord is an important international cooperation project to efficiently build lunar stations and utilize lunar resources amid the global rush into space exploration. In October last year, the United States, along with Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Italy, Luxembourg, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), signed the accord, but South Korea was not included.

The Ministry of Science and ICT conveyed to NASA its disappointment over South Korea's exclusion from the accord, citing that the Korea Aerospace Research Institute is cooperating with NASA on the Korean lunar orbiter payload (ShadowCam), and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute is participating in the development of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) as part of the U.S. lunar exploration plan, showing that South Korea and the United States have already been collaborating.

In response, NASA stated, "We welcome (South Korea's participation)" and added, "Due to the Trump administration rushing the policy, it happened that way, but we are already cooperating with South Korea and consider it an important partner for future cooperation."

Participation in the Artemis Accords is important as it allows for more efficient space exploration, which requires enormous funding, and ensures that South Korea does not fall behind the global trend in lunar station construction and other efforts.

In particular, it is expected to give momentum to the development of the Korean lunar lander aimed for 2030.

AP Satellite's strength lies in its core technology that integrates mobile communication technology, possessed by only a few global companies such as Motorola, Qualcomm, and Hughes, into the satellite industry. It currently holds about 15% of the global satellite communication terminal market and ranks third worldwide.