[Report] "Urgent Need for Special Act on Space Aviation City to Support Space Aviation Agency"

Space Aviation Agency to Open in Sacheon on 27th
Opening Preparations in Final Stage
Sacheon City Provides Full Support
Urgent Need for Transportation Infrastructure Improvement
Sacheon City: "Special Law for Space Aviation Special City Must Pass National Assembly"

"One of us should become a student working at the Space Aviation Agency."

"There are 16 students studying in one class right now. I hope more friends can study together."

"It's very difficult to travel from Sacheon to Jinju during rush hour. I hope the transportation improves."

The temporary office building of the Space Aviation Agency located in Sacheon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, visited on the 20th ahead of its opening on the 27th. The signboard of the Space Aviation Agency had not yet been installed. Photo by Baek Jongmin

On the afternoon of the 20th, a week before the opening of the Space Aviation Agency, elementary school students returning home at an apartment in Sacheon City, Gyeongsangnam-do, approached a reporter covering the preparations for the agency's opening and said they were well aware of it. It was easy to see that not only adults but even young students recognized that the Space Aviation Agency would be launched here.

Sacheon City in Gyeongsangnam-do was in a festive mood ahead of the Space Aviation Agency's opening. Banners welcoming the agency's opening fluttered not only at Sacheon Airport, the gateway to Sacheon, but also at Sacheon City Hall.

The apartment where 50 Space Aviation Agency employees will reside was also in the final stages of preparation to welcome the new residents. Preparations for the agency's opening were also nearing completion. Most of the remodeling work on the temporary office building was finished, and furniture placement was completed in some areas.

The Ministry of Science and ICT press corps is touring the interior of the temporary office of the Space Aviation Agency. Photo by Baek Jong-min

Sacheon City prepared various packages to fully support the living conditions of the Space Aviation Agency employees. These packages cover everything from housing for the employees to relocation support funds, transportation, tourism, and education. The support is unprecedented, far surpassing benefits offered by any local government during past relocations of public enterprises.

Sacheon's support measures include childcare support funds for relocating employees' children, startup support and job placement for family members, employment incentives, and personnel exchanges for spouses. Sacheon City also supports housing loan interest, monthly rent, as well as brokerage fees and registration costs related to housing transactions for relocating employees.

A Sacheon City official confidently stated, "No city or province nationwide provides health checkup support like this."

A large banner stating the intention to develop into an aerospace capital with the opening of the Space and Aviation Agency is hung at Sacheon City Hall. Photo by Baek Jong-min

Sacheon City's goal is to become like Toulouse, France's aerospace hub. Toulouse has established a unique status by hosting Airbus, which dominates the global aviation market alongside Boeing in the United States. Having already established an air force base, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), and now the Space Aviation Agency, Sacheon has secured an unrivaled position in the aerospace sector within South Korea. The foundation has been laid for Sacheon to leap forward as the aerospace capital of the Republic of Korea.

However, voices have emerged saying that for a greater leap, support from the central government and the National Assembly is necessary, as Sacheon City alone cannot achieve this.

This is why the 'Special Act on Aerospace Cities,' which Sacheon City is promoting together with local lawmakers and elected officials, is needed. Since the goal is difficult to achieve by local governments alone, Sacheon City argues that a special aerospace city act promising government-level financial support is essential. The aerospace city special act was proposed in the 21st National Assembly but needs to be reintroduced in the 22nd.

In the government's 'Space Industry Cluster Vision Promotion Plan,' Sacheon and Gyeongnam were designated for the satellite sector. The city plans to install satellite-related facilities but also needs to attract large corporations. For that, transportation improvements are urgent.

Currently, among the ways to travel from the metropolitan area to Sacheon, air and rail have clear limitations. Only two flights operate daily by air. The reporter also had to hurry to catch the last flight departing at 6:25 p.m. to Seoul. Sacheon Airport is a military airport, so civilian use is limited.

There are opinions that Sacheon Airport should be expanded into an international airport to enhance international cooperation. Currently, visitors from overseas must arrive at Incheon Airport, transfer to Gimpo Airport, and then take a flight to Sacheon. The advantage of being only 15 minutes from Sacheon Airport to the Space Aviation Agency's temporary office is lost before even arriving in Sacheon.

A banner welcoming the 50 households of Aerospace Administration employees moving into the apartment is displayed. Photo by Baek Jongmin

Rail improvements are also urgent. The KTX train departing from Seoul takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach Jinju Station via Masan. Since KTX services are limited, travelers must hurry when moving to other cities. This contrasts with France's Toulouse, which operates the TGV high-speed train. After arriving in Jinju, passengers must use public transportation to get to Sacheon. The Jinju-Sacheon road suffers from congestion during rush hours. Sacheon City hopes that the new Sacheon Space Aviation Line, directly connecting Seoul and Sacheon, will be included in the 5th National Railroad Network Plan.

Mayor Park Dongsik of Sacheon said, "Sacheon City, together with Gyeongsangnam-do, is preparing to build a space aviation complex city to serve as the aerospace capital of the Republic of Korea. We will focus on fostering the aerospace industry."