Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during a meeting of the National Space Committee at the Government Complex Seoul, Wednesday. Left is Lee Jong-ho, minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT. Yonhap

By Baek Byung-yeul

Korea designated three regions ― Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province ― as space clusters to carry out its goal of becoming one of the leading countries in the space development industry by 2045, according to the National Space Committee, Wednesday.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presided over a meeting of the National Space Committee in Seoul to draw up action plans for the country's space development vision. The meeting was the first such gathering under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

The committee said the plan came after President Yoon announced Korea's space development vision on Nov. 28, for the country to leap forward as one of the space powerhouses by 2045 when Korea will mark the 100th anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The president also said Korea will land on the Moon by 2032 and Mars by 2045.

"The government will focus its national capabilities to become a global powerhouse in the space economy by 2045. First of all, we will pursue independent exploration of the moon and Mars and expand our economic territory into space by joining the construction of a joint international space station. We will also survey lunar resources in 2032 and conduct a geological investigation on Mars in 2045," the prime minister said during the meeting.

To implement the president's roadmap quickly, motions were approved at the meeting for key space development projects such as the Fourth Master Plan for Promotion of Aerospace Development, the space industry cluster designation and the ultra-small satellite development plan.

Since the country initiated its medium- to long-term basic plan for space development in 1996, it improved its capabilities in the space sector until the Third Master Plan for Promotion of Aerospace Development, which was established in 2018.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, third from left, takes a look a space launch developed by a local company at a startup event held at the COEX convention center in Seoul, June 17. The prime minister presided over a meeting of the National Space Committee on Wednesday and announced action plans for Korea to become a space development powerhouse. Newsis

To increase its capability further, the committee set three specific goals for the Fourth Master Plan: the expansion of space exploration areas, the expansion of investment in space development and the creation of a private space industry.

Also, the three clusters will perform as growth points for the country's space development industry. Daejeon, where researchers and engineers are gathered, will become a cluster for research and development. South Jeolla Province has the Naro Space Center and is the best region for private launch vehicle makers to carry out their space rocket launches.

The committee added it also designated South Gyeongsang Province as one of the clusters as the region has many manufacturing companies especially in the satellite industry. The government will support the development of satellites by creating a specialized industrial complex and expanding testing facilities.

"We will build a three-angle cluster in Daejeon, South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province to drive the development of the space industry. By transferring public space technology to the private sector, supporting R&D and reforming regulations, the private sector will lead space development," Han said.

Another agenda is that the country will carry out development of ultra-small satellites to improve monitoring of crisis situations on the Korean Peninsula and strengthen national security. The satellite system will be comprised of a number of synthetic aperture radars and electro optical satellites and the development project will be jointly promoted by multiple government departments such as the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Coast Guard.