Ministry of National Defense and Korea Aerospace Administration Hold Working Council, Vow to Expand Space Industry Ecosystem

Decided to Institutionalize Annual "Space Hazard Response Drills"

The Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Aerospace Administration announced on June 11 that they held the first meeting of the "Space Subcommittee Working Council" under the "Future Defense Science and Technology Policy Council" at the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon. The Space Subcommittee Working Council was established as a follow-up measure to the memorandum of understanding signed last year between the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Science and ICT, with the aim of strengthening cooperation among the public, private, and military sectors.

Through this working council, the two organizations agreed to set operational directions to serve as a bridge for communication between the military and civilian sectors, share their respective space policy directions and major issues, and actively identify tasks that require joint collaboration among the public, private, and military sectors in the future.

In particular, both parties recognized the need to pool research and development capabilities from the public, private, and military sectors, as space development requires massive budgets and long-term technological investment. They agreed to identify large-scale space development projects that require national-level investment as joint initiatives.

Furthermore, as countries around the world accelerate space development and the risks associated with the increasing number of artificial space objects grow, the two organizations decided to institutionalize annual "space hazard response drills" involving both government and military participants.

Kwak Taeshin, Director-General for Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, stated, "Cooperation among the public, private, and military sectors is not an option but a necessity for strengthening national defense space capabilities. Through close collaboration with the Korea Aerospace Administration, we will systematically enhance our defense space capabilities and actively pursue cooperation to improve the competitiveness of the national space industry."

Kwon Hyunjun, Director-General for Space and Aerospace Policy at the Korea Aerospace Administration, said, "Space is becoming a fierce battleground for new leadership, not only in defense and security but also across various fields. By establishing a cooperative system among the public, private, and military sectors and expanding the space industry ecosystem, we will create an opportunity for the Republic of Korea to leap forward as a 'global space power.'"