South Korea

• Launch capability
• Military space programs 
• Arms control

South Korea was, in the past, largely dependent on the United States for its space assets. In the late 1980s, Seoul's interest for an indigenous capability resulted in the formation of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) within the Korea Institute of Machinery and Metals.[1] KARI became independent in 1996, and is now tasked with research on and development of aircraft, satellites and launch capabilities.[2] In 2008, KARI had annual budget of $310 billion won,[3] or approximately $250 million (U.S.)[4]

Exposure to American technology helped South Korea appreciate the military utility of space.[1] But Seoul’s missile development was slowed by a 1979 bilateral agreement with the United States limiting the range of its ballistic missiles to 180 km.[5] This agreement was superseded by South Korea's entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2001, which also allows the transfer of technology and knowledge from foreign entities to countries that agree to forsake long-range missiles, making the development of a devoted space launch vehicle (SLV) possible.[6]

South Korea has developed several space-launch vehicles. KARI built a testbed for orbital launch vehicle technologies, the Korean Sounding Rocket (KSR), starting in 1990 with the solid-fueled KSR-I. A subsequent version, the KSR-II, with two solid motors in tandem was flown in 1997 and 1998. The program ended in 2002 with the three-stage, liquid-fueled KSR-III.[7] The test rockets provided crucial experience for engineers and reliability data for motors, guidance and control systems for larger satellite launch vehicles. More recently, KARI has been developing, with Russian cooperation, the KSLV-1, an experimental rocket scheduled to be launched in the spring of 2009.[8] South Korea has also placed 10 satellites into orbit, utilizing foreign rockets for the launches,[9] and is currently developing the dual-use Arirang-5 satellite.[10]

In 2001, the South Korean government set a goal of becoming one of the world's 10 leading space powers by 2015.[11] To accomplish this aim, South Korean officials have focused on expanding foreign cooperation with South Korea’s space program. Before expressing goals to becoming a leading space power, South Korea had reached agreements to cooperate in space technology with China (in 1993), Poland (in 1993), France (in 1990), Russia (in 1990), and the United States (in 1992 and 2000). After increasing its national emphasis on the development of space technologies in 2001, South Korea has signed new memoranda of understanding with Australia (in 2005), Austria (in 2001), Germany (in 2001, 2003, and 2006), Italy (in 2002), Japan (in 2006), and the United Kingdom (in 2004). It has also concluded additional cooperative agreements with France and Russia,[12] and has begun participating in the European Union’s Galileo satellite navigation system.[13] According to Daniel Pinkston of the International Crisis Group, South Korean officials have recently expressed a desire to further expand space cooperation with the United States.[14] In July 2008, KARI officials visited NASA headquarters and reached an agreement on South Korean participation in the International Lunar Network.[15] Space cooperation between the United States and South Korea has also expand at the sub-federal level when the Korea Advanced Institute for Space Technology, a technological university, signed an agreement with NASA’s Ames Research Center to cooperate in the area of small satellites.[16]

South Korea conducts its most extensive space cooperation with Russia. In 2004, Energia, a Russia space corporation, won a contract to construct the Korean Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-1), as well as the new Naro Space Center.[7] South Korea is almost finished building the new Naro Space Center, which will cost $300 billion won, or approximately $250 million (U.S.) to build and will include a launch pad, control center, and tracking station for South Korean rockets.[9] According to Korean officials quoted in the Korea Times, the new space center is expected to be completed in late 2008.[17]

In 2004, South Korea and Russia also concluded an agreement to launch the first South Korean astronaut into space.[18] On April 8, 2008, Yi So-yeon, a 29-year-old bioengineer (right), became the first South Korean to travel in outer space. Yi flew on a Russian Soyuz rocket, lived and worked on the International Space Station, and stayed in space for 11 days. Yi’s trip cost the Seoul $27 million U.S. dollars, and KARI officials hope that this young female astronaut’s trip will spark public interest in space activities, allowing them to raise the budget for future space programs. [3] Ms. Yi replaced Ko San, a computer engineer who was originally chosen by a national competition to become South Korea's first astronaut. But, after the Russian Federal Space Agency accused Ko of breaking training protocols, the South Korean government was forced to disqualify Ko from the mission.[19] Image credit: KARI. 

KARI plans to expand its exploratory space programs in the near future. This includes plans to launch the KSVL-II space launch vehicle in 2017, and a space shuttle launching vessel in 2020.[3] The government ministry also hopes to launch two un-manned Moon orbiters in 2020 and 2025.[15]

Relevant link

Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Footnotes

[1] Peter Marquez, “South Korea: A Space Power by Proxy,” in Rebecca Jimerson and Ray Williamson, Eds., Space and Military Power in East Asia, George Washington University, http://www.gwu.edu/~spi/spacemilch6.html.  

[2] Korea Aerospace Research Institute website, http://www.kari.re.kr/english.  

[3] Cho Jin-seo, “KAIST to Work with NASA on Space Projects,” The Korea Times, January 28, 2008, LexisNexis.

[4] XE Universal Currency Converter, Accessed October 14, 2008, at: www.xe.com.  

[5] Daniel Pinkston, “North and South Korean Space Development: Prospects for Cooperation and Conflict,” Astropolitics, Vol. 4, No. 2, (Summer 2006).

[6] “Country Overview: South Korea,” Nuclear Threat Initiative website, February 2006, http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/SKorea/index.html.  

[7] Mark Wade, “Korea South.” Astronautix.com, http://www.astronautix.com/country/korsouth.htm, accessed June 21, 2006.

[8] Kim Tong-hyung, “Rocket Launch Delayed to Next Year,” The Korea Times, August 8, 2008, at: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/08/133_29009.html.  

[9] “S Korea Rocket Launch Depends on Russia Technology, Centre Said Nearly Ready,” Yonhap News Agency, translated by BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, June 4, 2007, LexisNexis.

[10] “South Korea to Launch First Radar Spy Satellite by 2010,” SatNews Daily, March 22, 2007, at: http://www.satnews.com/stories2007/4167/.  

[11] “South Korea Publishes Launch Vehicle Development Budget,” SpaceAndTech.com website, January 8, 2001, http://www.spaceandtech.com/digest/sd2001-01/sd2001-01-003.shtml.  

[12] “International Cooperation,” Korea Aerospace Research Institute website, no date, http://www.kari.re.kr/.  

[13] Changdon Kee, “Current Capabilities for Space Security: A Korean Perspective,” Presentation to the Workshop on Collective Security in Space, Tokyo, Japan, April 23, 2007, at: www.gwu.edu/~spi/tokyo/Kee.ppt.  

[14] John Sudworth, “South Korea Buys into Space Dream,” BBC News, November 12, 2007, at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7091216.stm.  

[15] “President Bush Participates in Joint Press Availability with President Lee Myung-Bak of the Republic of Korea,” U.S. Office of the Press Secretary, August 6, 2008, at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080806-3.html.  

[16] Cho Jin-seo, “KAIST to Work with NASA on Space Projects,” The Korea Times, January 28, 2008, LexisNexis.

[17] Cho Jin-seo, “Korea Plans to Send Moon Orbiter in 2020,” The Korea Times, November 20, 2007, LexisNexis.

[18] “Russia to Build Space Launch Pad in South Korea,” Russia in Global Affairs, October 29, 2004, at: http://eng.globalaffairs.ru/printver/685.html.  

[19] Choe Sang-hun, “Woman Replaces Colleague for South Korea's First Space Mission,” The New York Times, March 11, 2008, LexisNexis.

{Updated 10/21/08}