Korea’s Space Companies Seek to Expand Global Cooperation by Meeting with Foreign Space Agencies

- Global New Space Forum Successfully Hosted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Korea Aerospace Administration on December 4 -

The "Global New Space Forum in Seoul," organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korea Aerospace Administration to provide opportunities for Korean space companies to enter international markets and collaborate with foreign space agencies, was successfully held at Grand Hyatt Hotel Seoul on December 4, with participation from over 40 Korean companies, foreign space agencies, and embassies of 16 countries in Korea.

- New Space refers to a model where private companies lead space development, in contrast to the past era of government leadership in the field.

- Participating Countries: United States, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, Algeria, Brazil, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, EU, Lithuania, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Japan.

This forum took place merely days after the successful launch of the Nuri-4 rocket on November 27, drawing high interest and expectations. Particularly, key procurement and purchase officials from foreign space agencies participated in one-on-one meetings with Korean companies, allowing them to identify specific needs and discuss ways for practical cooperation.

In her opening speech, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina emphasized that "In the New Space era where private companies lead space development, government efforts alone are not enough, and effective space diplomacy requires close cooperation between the government and the private sector." She further stated, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work toward building a safe and sustainable space ecosystem and strengthening global cooperation."

In his welcoming address, Administrator of the Korea Aerospace Administration Yoon Youngbin stated, "This forum is an important opportunity to expand cooperation between countries for the innovative development of the space industry." He added that "Space cooperation is not only about technical exchange but is also an essential and strategic process for economic development and social contribution."

During the presentation and panel discussion sessions, Maged Ismail, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency and current Chair of the Arab Space Cooperation Group, delivered a keynote speech on the space cooperation strategy of the Middle East and North Africa, which are emerging as a key region for space development. Han Min-young, Director-General for Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Scientific Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Lee Jae-hyung, Director-General for Planning and Coordination at the Korea Aerospace Administration, shared with other participants Korea's space policies. Discussions on global cooperation in various fields, such as space transportation, satellite ecosystems, human resources and investment, space services and space exploration, were actively conducted between policy makers of foreign space agencies and Korean space companies.

Then came over 60 one-on-one meetings between foreign space agencies and Korean companies, arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on surveys conducted in advance. This tailored networking session enabled participants to explore potential collaboration projects in person, which received enthusiastic feedback.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korea Aerospace Administration had previously sent public-private delegations to the United States and three Southeast Asian countries in April and July to hold similar events. They have stated that they will continue to actively support Korean companies' bids to expand overseas.

Meanwhile, the participating foreign space agencies are scheduled to visit the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon on December 5 to see for themselves Korea's space capabilities.