Yoon Young-bin, Head of the Space Aviation Agency, "Will Be a Stepping Stone to Lead a Space Economy Powerhouse" (Comprehensive)

Space Aviation Agency Finally Opens on the 27th
Director Yoon Declares at Staff Meeting on Opening Day, "We Will Lead a Civilian-Led Space Power"

Yoon Young-bin, the inaugural Administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), made his first commute to the temporary office in Sacheon, Gyeongnam on the 27th, greeting employees and presiding over the morning assembly. Administrator Yoon began full-scale activities, including handling urgent approvals such as staff recruitment.

Yoon Young-bin, Administrator of the Space Aviation Agency (right). John Lee, Mission Headquarters Director (second from right), is greeting employees at the Space Aviation Agency in Sacheon, Gyeongnam on the 27th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Korea AeroSpace Administration, established by integrating various space-related organizations scattered across the government, officially opened and began operations in Sacheon, Gyeongnam on this day. This laid the foundation for nurturing world-class space companies like SpaceX through Korea's version of NASA.

Upon his first day at work, Administrator Yoon expressed his feelings, saying, “I am delighted that the Korea AeroSpace Administration, long hoped for by countless aerospace professionals, has finally opened. I feel both excitement and a heavy sense of responsibility.” He added, “The establishment of KASA will be an important stepping stone to lead our country into a full-fledged space economy powerhouse by fostering a private-sector-led space industry ecosystem.”

At the first morning assembly of KASA, although Administrator Yoon, Deputy Director Noh Kyung-won, Director John Lee of the Space Mission Headquarters, and other executives and staff appeared tense, their resolute determination to secure Korea’s future growth engine was evident.

During the opening ceremony and staff assembly held on the first floor of the KASA building that morning, Administrator Yoon shared his thoughts with the employees: “I will assign roles timely and appropriately so that each individual’s abilities and competencies can be maximized, and I will perform the role of a conductor to ensure that everyone’s expertise leads to definite results.”

He also stated, “The tasks ahead for KASA will be a continuous series of challenges and achievements. To become a true space technology powerhouse, more proactive and focused efforts are required, so I ask everyone to do their best for the advancement of Korea’s aerospace sector.”

KASA was launched by unifying government organizations responsible for space and aerospace policies and projects, which had been scattered across the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and others, under a special law passed by the National Assembly in January. Its English abbreviation is KASA (Korea AeroSpace Administration).

KASA’s authorized staff size is 293, but only 110 personnel participated in the launch on this day. Civil servants and fixed-term public officials each make up about half of the workforce. The civil servants had already conducted preparatory work for the opening over the past weekend in the form of business trips. KASA plans to treat this year as its inaugural year for organizational setup and aims to fill its staff by the end of the year by issuing transfer notices to all ministries and accelerating civilian recruitment. Currently, a demand survey for candidates is also underway for director-level positions.

KASA is organized into three bureaus: the Planning and Coordination Office, the Aerospace Policy Bureau, and the Aerospace Industry Bureau. Under the Mission Headquarters, there are four divisions: Space Transportation, Satellite, Space Science Exploration, and Aviation Innovation, totaling seven bureaus and 27 divisions. These mission headquarters are responsible for programs such as reusable launch vehicles, the Korean Satellite Navigation System (KPS), lunar lander programs, and future aircraft programs.

While KASA establishes policies, actual space-related research and development is expected to be handled by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, which are being transferred from the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST) to KASA. In this process, it is necessary to redefine the roles between the Aerospace Research Institute and the Astronomy Institute and clarify their relationship with KASA. The appointment of successors for the directors of both research institutes also needs to be expedited.

As countries worldwide focus on fostering the private space industry, KASA must actively promote cooperation and support with private companies. Cultivating private space companies like SpaceX is a core mission of KASA, which was launched in the 'New Space' era.

Kim Min-seok, Vice Chairman of the Korea Aerospace Industry Promotion Association, said, “Until now, the space industry has been led by the government, but we need to consider various support measures to enable the private sector to engage in the space industry.”