Yoon "Taegukgi on Mars by 2045... Promoting 'Space Gwanggaeto Project'" (Comprehensive)

Budget Increased by Over 1.5 Trillion Won by 2027
May 27 Designated as 'Space Aviation Day'

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the opening ceremony of the Space Agency and the 1st National Space Committee held at the temporary office of the Space Agency in Sacheon-si, Gyeongnam on the 30th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 30th, "We will promote the ‘Space Gwanggaeto Project’ to land our probe on the moon by 2032 and plant the Taegeukgi on Mars by 2045."

President Yoon made these remarks while attending the opening ceremony of the Space Agency and the 1st National Space Committee held at the temporary office of the Space Agency in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, in the afternoon.

The event was organized to widely publicize the official launch of the Space Agency both domestically and internationally and to pledge that South Korea will leap forward as one of the world's top five space powers, opening a new 'space era.' The bill to establish the Space Agency, which was also a campaign promise of President Yoon, was submitted to the National Assembly in April last year and passed in the plenary session in January this year.

In his congratulatory speech, President Yoon emphasized, "Now we will pioneer the routes of space and open a new era," adding, "Just as the Age of Discovery created the first international laws that have become today's global standards, we must lead the ‘Space Standard’ in the era of space exploration."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is attending the opening ceremony of the Space Agency and the 1st National Space Committee held at the temporary office of the Space Agency in Sacheon-si, Gyeongnam on the 30th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, President Yoon stated, "Space technology is a collection of cutting-edge scientific technologies and the most powerful future growth engine. More than 70 countries worldwide have established dedicated space industry agencies and are fiercely competing," and added, "The Space Agency will focus on supporting challenging and innovative research and development (R&D) and the space industry ecosystem, nurturing specialized talents to open the 'New Space era.'"

To this end, the 'Space Gwanggaeto Project' will be promoted to land our probe on the moon by 2032 and plant the Taegeukgi on Mars by 2045.

President Yoon said, "The Space Agency will become a milestone of innovation leading changes in the civil service and government organizations," and added, "We will make the Space Agency an R&D, expert, and project-centered organization that can flexibly respond to changes, open all positions to the private sector including foreigners, and provide top experts with treatment commensurate with their abilities."

Approximately 100 Trillion Won Investment by 2045

He also promised full support. President Yoon pledged, "We will expand the related budget to over 1.5 trillion won by 2027 and lead an investment of about 100 trillion won by 2045," and said, "We will designate May 27, the launch day of the Space Agency, as the national holiday ‘Space Aviation Day’ to nurture the dream of the space era together with the people."

Following this, President Yoon presided over the 1st National Space Committee meeting. The head of the Space Agency presented the 'Policy Direction of the Space Agency for Entering the Top 5 Space Aviation Powers,' and the national space committee members offered various opinions. Held under the slogan ‘National Space Committee with the People,’ the meeting was attended by over 250 people from various sectors, including space committee members, political and governmental figures, industry, academia, research institutes, citizens, and students.

Before the main event, President Yoon attended the ‘Space Aviation Festival with Future Generations’ held at the Sacheon Aerospace Museum to commemorate the opening of the Space Agency, encouraged the winners of the space aviation competition, and watched the congratulatory flights of the Black Eagles and KF21 with citizens.