Margin of Error 10cm... Korean-Style GPS Coming Soon [Military Story]

LIG Nex1 Developing Korean Satellite Navigation System
Development Goal by 2035... Economic Effect of 12 Trillion Won

GPS (Global Positioning System) refers to the satellite navigation system used by the general public for mobile phones, navigation devices, and more. However, to be precise, it is a satellite navigation system developed by the United States. The U.S. developed GPS in the 1960s and 1970s for military purposes such as missile guidance and opened it to the public in the 1980s. Since then, GPS has become the foundation for location-based services provided by smartphone applications and car navigation systems. GPS has since become a generic term. The annual economic value of GPS to the U.S. economy is $500 billion (approximately 678 trillion KRW), and there are 7 billion electronic communication devices worldwide connected to GPS.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Besides the United States, five other countries currently have their own independent satellite navigation systems: Russia, the European Union (EU), China, India, and Japan. These countries developed their own satellite navigation systems because relying solely on the U.S.-made GPS could lead to disadvantages. For example, in 1999, when Pakistan and India had a territorial dispute, the U.S. either denied GPS access to India or significantly increased the margin of error. As a result, Russia completed GLONASS in 1995, the EU plans to complete Galileo by 2025, China completed BeiDou in 2020, Japan completed QZSS in 2023, and India developed NavIC in 2018 (service not yet launched), all for use in specific regions or planned usage.

Advanced Countries Possess Independent Satellite Navigation Systems

China’s satellite navigation system development began in 1994. Over 26 years, China invested 10 trillion KRW and launched a total of 44 satellites used for BeiDou operation. Its precision rivals that of the U.S. GPS. This means China can operate its navigation system independently without relying on the U.S. GPS. The more satellites there are, the higher the accuracy. With three satellites, latitude and longitude can be determined on Earth, and with four satellites, altitude can also be measured. Satellite signals cannot pass through buildings or mountains, so the greater the number of satellites, the higher the accuracy and safety.

Business Diversification Possible with Successful KPS Development

South Korea also plans to develop its own Korean Positioning System (KPS). Although GPS use was permitted in South Korea following the 1983 KAL plane shooting incident, an independent system is necessary. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is leading the project with a goal to complete development by 2035. The target margin of error is 10 cm. The “10 cm” margin is considered a formidable benchmark worldwide. If this performance is proven, it will enable dominance in fields requiring ultra-precision such as indoor drones, unmanned ports, and urban air mobility (UAM), where GPS has been insufficient. The expected economic ripple effect is approximately 12.692 trillion KRW.

Among private companies, domestic defense company LIG Nex1 is the frontrunner. LIG Nex1 plans to enhance its existing core businesses and diversify by utilizing satellite payload and satellite navigation equipment technologies acquired through participation in the KPS project. For KPS, the government plans to launch a total of eight satellites?three geostationary satellites and five inclined orbit satellites?to be positioned near the Korean Peninsula.