Government Announces 'Space Sector Materials, Parts, and Equipment Development Strategy' for First Half of the Year

Promotion of Strengthening Civil-Military Cooperation Related to Leading Technologies in the Defense Sector

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The government will announce a development strategy for 'space sector materials, parts, and equipment' in the first half of this year to promote the entry of domestic space technology into the diffusion phase and respond to the rapid growth of the space market.

Park Jinkyu, 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, announced this on the 17th during a visit to the Agency for Defense Development.

Vice Minister Park said, "For the development of the space industry, it is important to form a virtuous industrial ecosystem where satellites made using domestically produced materials and parts are launched and demonstrated by domestic launch vehicles," adding, "We will closely cooperate with related ministries such as the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to establish a strategy to promote the joint civil-military space industry."

This visit was an occasion to strengthen cooperation in the space sector among the Agency for Defense Development, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Vice Minister Park stated that he will promote the strengthening of civil-military cooperation in leading defense technologies such as satellites and launch vehicles.

The Agency for Defense Development has been the dedicated organization for civil-military technology cooperation projects and has collaborated with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy since 1999 for civil-military technology cooperation and mutual technology transfer. Recently, it has participated in the private-led Space Industry Materials, Parts, and Equipment Development Council launched on the 15th of last month to support the Ministry’s development strategy for space industry materials, parts, and equipment. Together with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, it is also establishing and promoting the 'Space Defense Acquisition Master Plan.'

Park Jongseung, Director of the Agency for Defense Development, said, "In the new space era, if the Ministry of National Defense, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and the Agency for Defense Development actively promote space development in the defense sector and closely integrate with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which has led domestic industrial development while playing a pioneering role in the space industry, the space industry can be successfully revitalized." He proposed, "Let us cooperate to ensure that the core technologies related to space launch vehicles held by the Agency for Defense Development are transferred to the private sector through core technology development and civil-military technology cooperation projects."