Science and ICT Committee Sends 'Space Aviation Agency Special Act' Back to Subcommittee... Will It Accelerate Passage Within the Year?

Plenary Meeting Held, Referred to Standing Committee Subcommittee
Subcommittee to Meet Tomorrow for Bill Discussion
Jang Je-won: "Major Issues Nearly Narrowed... Expecting a Grand Resolution"

The special law for the establishment of the Space Aviation Agency, which has been stalled for eight months, was transferred to the relevant standing committee's subcommittee on the 5th for full-scale review.

The National Assembly's Special Committee on Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting held a plenary meeting that afternoon and decided to refer the special law on the establishment and operation of the Space Aviation Agency to the bill review subcommittee (1st subcommittee) after a progress report from the agenda coordination committee.

From the early stages of discussion, there were significant disagreements between the ruling and opposition parties regarding the special law for the Space Aviation Agency. The government and ruling party insisted that the Space Aviation Agency should directly plan and conduct research and development (R&D), while the opposition raised concerns about inefficiencies such as overlapping duties with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and others.

In response, the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee decided in July to form an agenda coordination committee to expedite the enactment of the Space Aviation Agency Act. However, it faced difficulties such as failing to appoint a chairperson for 36 days. Even after the agenda coordination committee (operating for 90 days) ended on October 23, discussions were delayed due to other reviews such as the hearing for the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission and the national audit.

Democratic Party lawmaker Go Min-jung is protesting the procedural method of Chairman Jang Je-won during the confirmation hearing for KBS President nominee Park Min at the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee on the 7th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Cho Seung-rae, the opposition party secretary of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee and chairperson of the agenda coordination committee, said, "Through four meetings, we did our best to reconcile differences on key legislative matters such as the litigation and status of the dedicated space policy agency, its functions and jurisdiction, personnel and operational exceptions, and its relationship with existing research institutions, but unfortunately, we could not reach an agreement on the coordination plan."

The stalled special law for the Space Aviation Agency saw its issues resolved after re-discussions during the national audit, with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute being transferred under the jurisdiction of the Space Aviation Agency, and KARI agreeing to place its R&D functions within the agency. Kim Byung-wook, a member of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee from the People Power Party, said, "KARI and the Astronomy Institute agreed not to raise further issues regarding their status and R&D coordination related to the establishment of the Space Aviation Agency, resolving the issue," adding, "Once the bill subcommittee starts tomorrow, I hope the committee will discuss the Space Aviation Agency Act and other necessary laws and pass them within the regular session, making next year the inaugural year for Korea's leap as a space power."

With the special law referred to the subcommittee on this day, the passage of the special law is expected to accelerate. Since the ruling and opposition parties have formed a '2+2 agreement body'?comprising the policy chiefs and senior deputy floor leaders of both parties?to discuss priority bills for passage, there is a high possibility that the special law for the Space Aviation Agency will be included in the discussion. Jang Je-won, chairperson of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee, said at the plenary meeting, "Most of the major issues have been narrowed down," and added, "I earnestly ask the subcommittee members to reach a swift consensus in a magnanimous spirit once the bill is referred to the subcommittee."