On the 16th, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho TAe Yul discussed U.S.-South Korea space cooperation with NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy. Cho particularly expressed his intention to contribute to the success of NASA’s Artemis program, a lunar exploration project.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho met with Melroy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul that day and emphasized the importance of cooperation with NASA to expand the U.S.-Korea alliance in the space sector.
Cho said, “As the Korean Aerospace Agency (KASA) was launched this May, we look forward to active cooperation between the U.S. and Korean space agencies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will actively support KASA’s activities to lead U.S.-Korea space cooperation together.”
He also explained the lunar exploration mission by 2032, and the Mars exploration goal by 2045 proposed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and expressed his intention to contribute to the success of NASA’s Artemis program to achieve these goals.
Previously, NASA invited South Korea to contribute a cube satellite for the second launch of the Artemis project, but this did not materialize. According to the South Korean Presidential Office, the offer was declined because preparing a cube satellite within the given deadline was challenging. Discussions are now underway for South Korea’s participation in the third launch.
Melroy emphasized that space has various implications for security, technology, and the economy, noting that Korea, with its shared values of transparency and democracy, is a vital space cooperation partner for the U.S. She expressed enthusiasm for continued cooperation with Korea, which she described as a space powerhouse in Asia, particularly in areas like satellite development and space observation.
She then evaluated, “Korean companies possess world-class technology in various fields such as robotics, transportation, and communications, so there is a high potential for cooperation between the two countries.”
According to the U.S.–South Korean Space Cooperation agreement, both sides agreed to continue efforts to strengthen cooperation through consultative bodies such as the U.S.-Korea Space Security Dialogue and the Civil Space Dialogue.
