Budget Increase Over 1.5 Trillion Won by 2027
May 27 Designated as 'Space Aviation Day'
Making Sacheon Asia's 'Toulouse'
President Yoon Suk-yeol is applauding 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 announce the official launch of the Space Agency both domestically and internationally and to pledge that South Korea will leap into the ranks 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 said, "Now we will pioneer the routes of space and open a new era," emphasizing, "Just as the Age of Discovery created the first international law that has led to today's global standards, we must lead the ‘Space Standard’ in the era of space exploration."
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," adding, "The Space Agency will focus on supporting challenging and innovative research and development (R&D) and the space industry ecosystem, nurturing talented professionals 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."
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]
100 trillion won and 1,000 space companies nurtured by 2045
He also promised full support to leap into a space power. President Yoon said, "We will expand the related budget to more than 1.5 trillion won by 2027 and lead investments of about 100 trillion won by 2045," promising, "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."
He also said, according to a written briefing by Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, "We will nurture 1,000 space companies, grow 10 of them into world-class companies, and develop Sacheon into the center of advanced space science technology and Asia’s ‘Toulouse,’ attracting top global talent."
France’s Toulouse is a representative aerospace hub city in Europe, home to Airbus and many aerospace companies, and Toulouse University is one of the leading institutions producing aerospace professionals in Europe.
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 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 about 250 people from various sectors, including space committee members, political and government officials, academia, industry, research, citizens, and students.
In his closing remarks, President Yoon quoted President John F. Kennedy’s words, "We choose to go to the moon because it is hard," emphasizing, "I am confident that the Space Agency’s spirit of challenge without fear of failure will play a leading role in spreading throughout Gyeongnam Province, Sacheon City, the entire country, and all industries." He added, "The central government will actively support creating good living conditions here in Sacheon, where the evening glow is beautiful, so that many talented people from Korea and around the world can focus on research and development."
Attending the event were Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Minister Ahn Deok-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Minister Han Hwa-jin of the Ministry of Environment, and Minister Kang Do-hyung of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. From the People Power Party, Policy Committee Chair Jeong Jeom-sik and lawmakers Park Dae-chul, Seo Cheon-ho, and Choi Hyung-doo were present. From the Presidential Office, Science and Technology Senior Secretary Park Sang-wook and R&D Innovation Secretary Choi Won-ho attended.
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 aerospace competition, and watched the congratulatory flights by the Black Eagles and KF21 with citizens.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
