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The Korean launch vehicle Nuriho (KSLV-II) is soaring powerfully, emitting flames at the second launch pad of Naro Space Center in Goheung-gun on the 21st. Nuriho is a three-stage launch vehicle designed to deploy a 1.5-ton class practical satellite into low Earth orbit (600?800 km). It is the first domestically produced launch vehicle completed entirely with domestic technology, from engine design to manufacturing, testing, and launch operation. / Goheung = Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] As discussions are underway to establish a dedicated organization to lead South Korea's space development, related agencies and regions hoping to host the organization are already "counting their chickens before they hatch" over the supervising ministry and location.

According to the science and technology community on the 2nd, ahead of the 20th presidential election, the establishment of a dedicated space development organization is virtually becoming a foregone conclusion within the government and ruling and opposition political circles. All major presidential candidates have pledged related promises. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, announced on the 19th of last month a pledge to establish a "Space Strategy Headquarters," a national space policy execution organization directly under the president. Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party candidate, also promised to establish an Aerospace Agency, and candidates Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party have expressed similar positions. Accordingly, the establishment of a dedicated space development organization is highly likely in the next government’s organizational restructuring. This is because the existing administrative system clearly has limitations.

Currently, space development projects are conducted as state-led research and development projects, with the Ministry of Science and ICT providing budget and policy support, and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) handling research and development operations. First, the Ministry of Science and ICT’s support capacity itself is significantly lacking. The space-related department consists of only two divisions, and the officials in charge often transfer positions within 2 to 3 years at best, resulting in a lack of expertise. Above all, every project must undergo a preliminary feasibility study, and the budget scale is clearly limited. The space development budget that the Ministry of Science and ICT can manage and execute is only about 200 billion won annually. This does not align with the recent trend in space development, which requires concentrated investment of personnel, time, and effort to achieve high results in a short period. The fact that it took 11 years from the start of development to the first launch of the Nuri rocket is a representative example. Experts agree that if budget and personnel had been concentrated, it could have been completed within five years. Under the current administrative system, it is also difficult to comprehensively oversee, coordinate, and adjust space-related tasks scattered across multiple ministries: space industry promotion by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, technology development by the Ministry of Science and ICT, space security by the Ministry of National Defense, and security and air defense by the National Intelligence Service.

The government also acknowledges these limitations. Last year, President Moon Jae-in established the National Space Committee chaired by the Prime Minister to coordinate tasks among ministries related to space development. The Ministry of Science and ICT also improved the system so that future space development projects could proceed as general projects (contract signing and procurement system) rather than research and development. Furthermore, there is agreement on the necessity of establishing a dedicated space organization that comprehensively oversees budget, policy, research and development, and projects?similar to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)?to enhance administrative support system efficiency and specialization.

The problem is that conflicts are already arising among related agencies and regions claiming "priority" over the establishment of such a dedicated space development organization. First, various government ministries are asserting jurisdiction over the dedicated space development organization. Minister Lim Hye-sook of the Ministry of Science and ICT stated at a New Year press briefing on the 27th of last month, "(The Ministry of Science and ICT) has been managing space development tasks well," and argued that the Ministry of Science and ICT should have jurisdiction if a new organization is established. Other ministries also have claims. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy insists that it should have jurisdiction as the dedicated department for fostering the space industry, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which already handles the aviation sector, and the Ministry of National Defense, which is working on establishing a Space Force, are also reportedly eager for jurisdiction.

As the conflict spreads among regions, it has become a major regional issue in the presidential election. Recently, Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party candidate, announced a pledge to establish the Aerospace Agency in Gyeongnam and relocate the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to Daejeon, sparking controversy. Daejeon is home to more than 40 research and development institutions and private companies, including the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, the Agency for Defense Development, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). On the other hand, about 60% of aerospace and space-related businesses, such as Korea Aerospace Industries and Hanwha Aerospace, are concentrated in Gyeongnam. The Daejeon region is opposing this, arguing that it is natural to establish the dedicated space development organization in the research and development cluster, making it a major regional presidential election issue.

A professor of aerospace engineering at a university pointed out, "Whether to oversee both aviation and space sectors together or separate them could be a variable in deciding the name, supervising ministry, and location," adding, "It should be decided carefully considering long-term vision, administrative efficiency, and existing infrastructure, rather than regional or ministerial interests."