Page 25 - ADT SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2023 Latest Magazine | GBP

Ever since it established the Space Hub in March 2021, Hanwha The theme of this year’s forum was analysis of
Aerospace, the space business arm of Hanwha, has acquired and space technology development trends, devel-
invested in several foreign space communication firms such as opment of Korea’s defence space power, and
OneWeb and Pager Solution. The company is in charge of putting ways to secure competitiveness. The direction of
together South Korea’s satellite launch vehicles and managing the defence space power development contained
companies taking part in the space project. In November 2020, in the “Defence Space Strategy” finalized in
Hanwha Systems was picked to lead a five-year state project to February this year, was introduced to partic-
develop a laser tracking system that can accurately track space ipants, followed by a discussion on defence
objects. This would be one of the first steps toward the goal of devel- space power.
oping a laser weapon system capable of destroying “killer satellites.”
At the event, Dr. Lee Ho-cheol of the Civil-Military
KAI’s space center, which opened in August 2020, is capable of Cooperation Promotion Agency emphasized
building six 1.5-ton-satellites at once. The company led the assem- the need to expand investment in the field of
bling process of the Nuri rocket, bringing together all the parts and building supply chains such as space materials
equipment developed by some 300 companies. While the country’s and parts to expand civil-military technological
private satellite sector has largely focused on developing smaller cooperation, and to promote the development
satellites, KAI is developing mid- to large-sized satellites. The com- of verification satellites and the industrialization
pany is also a key partner in building eight Korea Multi-purpose of launch services to enhance the synergy effect
satellites (KOMPSATs), assembling the main part of the satellites as of space development between the private
part of a joint effort headed by KARI.
and defence sectors. Dr. Na Kyung-soo of the
Agency for Defense Development announced
Partnerships with allies are crucial to Seoul’s space plans. In August the development direction of space-based
2021, South Korea and the U.S. signed an agreement to strengthen surveillance and reconnaissance technology
cooperation in areas such as space surveillance, space domain in the defense field and stressed the need to
awareness, space technology, and missile defence. As part of the pre-emptively secure core technologies needed
deal, the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) will participate in joint for space power construction to ensure Korea’s
space-related military exercises. survivability in the future space age.

There is a concerted effort to ensure that the public and private “Despite securing independent surveillance and
sector are invested in the country’s efforts to expand its space capa- reconnaissance capabilities through the launch
bilities. In September this year, DAPA organized a conference on the of the first military reconnaissance satellite at
‘Present and Future of Korea’s Defence Space Technology’ at Seoul the end of this year, Korea is currently ranked
National University’s Ho-Am Faculty Hall. In attendance were experts 10th in the world in space technology,” said
from military-related organizations, government-funded research DAPA’s Administration Future Power Business
institutes, and academia.
Division Director, Han Kyung-ho. “We plan to
establish a virtuous cycle of space technology
The country’s Defence Technology Forum, which was held for the 8th by further strengthening civil-military cooper-
time this year, discussed plans and implementation tasks to lead ation in the field of space technology with high
the K-space era through public and private sector cooperation. civil-military compatibility.”.

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023 | 25