"Cooperation Needed for Private Commercial Space Activities" Joint Statement on Korea-US Space Industry Collaboration Announced

Ministry of Science and ICT and U.S. Department of Commerce Hold Korea-U.S. Space Industry Symposium
Opportunity to Explore Cooperation at Government and Corporate Levels
Joint Statement on Bilateral Commercial Space Activities Announced

The Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea and the U.S. Department of Commerce have issued a joint statement expressing that commercial space activities cooperation between space companies of the two countries to pioneer new markets and find growth breakthroughs is desirable. This is interpreted as laying the groundwork for Korean companies to participate in U.S. space programs in the future.

Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT is having a conversation with Chirag Parikh, Secretary General of the U.S. National Space Council, at the "Korea-U.S. Space Industry Symposium" held on the morning of the 8th at the Mayfield Hotel in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

On the 8th, following the Korea-U.S. Space Industry Symposium held in Seoul, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the U.S. Department of Commerce released this joint statement. The symposium was attended by Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT; Sirag Parikh, Deputy Assistant to the U.S. President and Executive Secretary of the National Space Council; and Michael Morgan, U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation and Prediction, who shared space policies to promote commercial space activities and international cooperation.

Both countries evaluated that this symposium allowed space companies to directly participate in discussions on commercial cooperation between the two nations. They also reaffirmed the close cooperative relationship between Korea and the U.S. in the space sector, contributing to the peaceful development of the Indo-Pacific region and global economic growth.

The two governments agreed to actively pursue cooperation in various space sectors based on the recommendations presented at this symposium, and plan to report the outcomes to government representatives at the 4th Korea-U.S. Civil Space Dialogue to be held in Washington next year.

The issuance of the joint statement indicates that a significant portion of the discussion content had been agreed upon in advance. The Ministry of Science and ICT expects that, based on this, cooperation between Korean and U.S. space companies will become more active, enabling Korean companies to pioneer new markets in the space sector alongside U.S. companies and secure growth momentum.

Prior to the Ministry of Science and ICT and U.S. Department of Commerce’s space industry symposium, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State also held a space forum to coordinate the directions of their respective space policies. Through these consecutive Korea-U.S. space cooperation initiatives, it is expected that not only companies but also the national space councils of both countries will strengthen their space cooperation framework and facilitate smooth high-level communication.

Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "This symposium is a significant opportunity to solidify the Korea-U.S. alliance in the space industry sector and to promote the growth of our country’s space companies through cooperation with the United States. If the Space Aviation Agency is established, the government will actively support collaboration between space companies of both countries, which will accelerate the realization of Korea’s space economy."