Yoon Young-bin, administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), speaks during a meeting with employees on the opening day of the space agency at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT
Korea launched the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), Monday, an agency that will lead policy and industrial development in the aerospace sector, with its inaugural administrator vowing to turn the country into a global space powerhouse.
“I am happy that we were able to finally open KASA, which has been a dream of countless people in the aerospace sector, and I feel both excitement and a heavy responsibility,” Yoon Young-bin, administrator of KASA, said on his first day on the job.
“The establishment of KASA will be an important stepping stone in leading Korea to become a full-fledged space economy powerhouse through the creation of a private-led space industry ecosystem.”
KASA was established under a special law passed by the National Assembly in January to unify government organizations in charge of space policy and projects.
Based in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, KASA has an annual budget of 758.9 billion won ($556 million) this year. The agency currently has around 110 employees and will eventually have a total of 293.
In March, the government established the 2024 Space Development Promotion Action Plan and set five major missions — including space exploration, space transportation, space industry, space security and space science.
In line with the government's policy, KASA will establish a roadmap for Korea's space exploration and plans to promote reusable launch vehicles, development of the country's own global positioning system (GPS) and a lunar lander program.
In particular, it plans to develop a lunar lander with a goal of landing on the moon in 2032, and to design and develop engines to enter the commercial launch service market.
Yoon Young-bin, front row center, administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), poses with employees during an opening day ceremony of the space agency at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT
The KASA administrator expressed his gratitude and encouragement to the employees who moved to Sacheon, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, to work at the space agency, during a ceremony commemorating the opening.
“We will assign roles at the right time and right place so that each individual's abilities and capabilities can be maximized, and we will fulfill our role like an orchestra conductor so that their expertise can lead to solid results,” Yoon said.
Yoon outlined four key roles for the agency: establishing national aviation policies, spearheading research and development initiatives while nurturing a skilled workforce, fostering industry growth, and strengthening international cooperation efforts.
“Just as the four legs of a chair must be balanced and harmonized in order to stand upright, the role of KASA can only be fulfilled when each department is balanced and harmonized,” he said.
The KASA chief said the immediate challenge is to create an environment where members from different backgrounds can work as one team.
“KASA consists of people from different agencies and ministries. We will create an environment of mutual respect and inclusion among staff with diverse backgrounds and experiences,” the administrator said.
He also stressed that securing ample budgets and making bold investments in crucial areas will propel the country toward leadership in the space industry.
"Although Korea has entered the world's top seven space powers, there is still a huge gap between the first and sixth places,” he said. “We need to present clear mid- and long-term space development goals and visions, secure sufficient budgets to support them and make bold investments in strategic areas.”