Korea and France Strengthen Space Cooperation in the NewSpace Era

5th Korea-France Space Forum Held
Korea Aerospace Administration and CNES Sign Comprehensive Agreement

Korea and France are set to further strengthen their space cooperation in the NewSpace era.

The Korea Aerospace Administration announced on the 27th that it hosted the "5th Korea-France Space Forum" together with the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul.

This forum was organized to share the two countries' space strategies and industry trends, and to seek practical cooperation through B2B networking among companies. The "Korea-France Space Forum" was launched as a follow-up measure to discussions on strengthening space cooperation during the 2015 Korea-France summit, and this year marks its fifth edition.

Attendees, including Yoon Youngbin, Administrator of the Korea Aerospace Agency (sixth from the left in the front row), and Lionel Suchet, Chief Operating Officer of CNES (to the right of Administrator Yoon), pose for a commemorative photo at the 5th Korea-France Space Forum held on the 27th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. Photo by Korea Aerospace Agency

The event featured five sessions: strategic space autonomy, space exploration, next-generation orbital capabilities, space services, and commercial space. Through these sessions, both countries shared updates on their space policies and technological trends. In particular, key issues of the NewSpace era-such as reusable launch vehicle development, space transportation systems, and the need for public-private partnerships (PPP)-were intensively discussed.

The Korea Aerospace Administration and CNES signed the "Korea-France Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Space Activities" on the occasion of the forum. This agreement is seen as a stepping stone to expand public research cooperation between the two countries into the industrial ecosystem.

France is a core contributor to the European Space Agency (ESA) and leads European space strategies in areas such as space transportation, exploration, and satellite navigation. Lionel Suchet, Chief Operating Officer of CNES, stated, "France and Korea have complementary strengths, and this agreement will serve as a new starting point for space cooperation between our two countries."

The Korea-France B2B meeting, held alongside the forum, brought together 15 Korean companies and 17 French companies to continue technology exchanges. Companies from a variety of fields-including launch vehicles, small satellites, Earth observation, space situational awareness (SSA), and space medicine-explored opportunities for collaboration.

Yoon Youngbin, Administrator of the Korea Aerospace Administration, said, "This forum is the first event we have held with CNES since the establishment of the Korea Aerospace Administration, and it is highly significant in that Korea and France have opened a new chapter of cooperation in the NewSpace era. I hope today's discussions will lead to innovative partnerships."