Yoon Young-bin, Administrator of the Korea Aerospace Administration, stated in his 2025 New Year's address that the nation should begin serious endeavors next year to become a top-five aerospace power.
In his New Year's address on the 31st, Yoon said, "We have been working tirelessly to achieve the goal of becoming a top-five aerospace power by 2045 and to capture a 10% share of the global market," and added that, "We will accelerate the private-sector-led aerospace economy and activate the aerospace fund to establish support measures for corporations."
Yoon noted, "We opened the era of 1 trillion won in research and development and strengthened the driving force for aerospace innovation by establishing a triangular cluster in the space industry," and said, "We expanded communication with research sites and engaged in leading activities on the international stage, including signing a research agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Artemis program."
He added, "2025 will be a very important year for us," emphasizing that, "It is now time to make a genuine leap forward based on the foundations we have established so far."
Yoon emphasized the necessity of establishing a private-sector-led aerospace economy, securing promising new technologies, and building infrastructure for talent development. He stated, "We need to enable private participation across all areas, from the fourth launch of the Nuri rocket to the development of launch vehicles, advanced satellites, satellite applications, and future aircraft," and noted, "We will dismantle regulations on corporate activities and develop measures to create a startup ecosystem."
He also said, "To secure economic feasibility in the space transportation sector, we will develop key technologies for reusable launch vehicles and prepare plans for the localization of advanced technologies, such as aviation gas turbine engine development," adding, "We will systematically plan the establishment of the world's first solar gravitational observatory at the fourth Lagrange point (L4) and secure a unique area in space science exploration."
He said, "We will establish a system to cultivate and utilize aerospace personnel and enhance the designation of research and development mission centers and the operation of future space education centers," and added, "We will ensure that talent development leads to employment."
Finally, he remarked, "2025 will be a year of fierce competition among nations to secure aerospace leadership," stating, "We must pool everyone's capabilities and do our best so that Korea can seize opportunities and lead the global aerospace industry."