The team leader of a space startup in Seoul recently visited the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do for a business meeting. To make it in time for the afternoon meeting, they left home, took a 40-minute subway ride, and arrived at Seoul Station, where they boarded the KTX train to Jinju, which departed at 8:23 a.m. After having lunch near Jinju Station, they arrived at the Aerospace Research Institute at 2 p.m.
After a meeting lasting just over an hour, they hurried toward Jinju Station. If they missed the train departing at 3:42 p.m., the next train wouldn't be available for another two hours. They took the 3:42 p.m. train and arrived at Seoul Station at 7:20 p.m. After taking the subway again and arriving home, they saw that it had just passed 8 p.m. Having spent 12 hours on the road for a one-hour meeting.
It has been one year since the Korea Aerospace Research Institute opened in Sacheon, but it continues to use the building of the Arol Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industry in Sanam-myeon, Sacheon as a temporary office. The official office has only just begun to establish its position. Surrounding the temporary office, which they visited on the 21st, there were only vacant lots, and other buildings were hard to find. Although it has been a year since its establishment, not much has changed since then.
Employees of the Aerospace Research Institute and industry stakeholders unanimously pointed out that the current location weakens the competitiveness of the institute and reduces operational efficiency. While the time taken to travel to and from the institute is problematic, the more serious issue is the difficulty in attracting experts. There are voices outside and inside the institute calling for a complete reorganization of the governance system of the Aerospace Research Institute, including its location, following the closure of the institute by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
◇ Securing personnel is a bigger issue than transportation inconveniences
The decision to locate the Aerospace Research Institute in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do was made by Yoon Suk-yeol's Presidential Transition Committee. The regional balance development subcommittee of the transition committee announced the establishment of the aerospace institute in Gyeongsangnam-do in April 2022, stating it was part of "regional balance development." There were claims that Gyeongsangnam-do was considered due to the promise of transferring the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to Daejeon.
Experts pointed out that the decision at the time has hindered the Aerospace Research Institute. Ahn Hyung-jun, head of the Space Public Team at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), noted, "While the limitations of the location were expected, it seems to be even more difficult than anticipated," and added, "Holding meetings in Sacheon requires clearing almost the entire day, making it inconvenient from the very beginning to gather people."
An executive from a government research institute related to space said, "In the United States, all government departments and relevant agencies are located within a few kilometers of Congress and the White House, and the headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is no exception," and added, "Sejong City had similar issues initially, but the problems are even more serious in Sacheon."
Above all, personnel was an issue. Although the Aerospace Research Institute began its operations before its official opening, it only managed to meet its personnel quota (294 people) earlier this month. The so-called 'researcher southern limit' has moved up to Pangyo, making it difficult to secure personnel from a place that takes four hours from Seoul. A relevant official who participated in the interviews for employees of the Aerospace Research Institute said, "It is a recruitment for a 5th-grade senior researcher, but most applicants were either recent college graduates or people about to retire from their existing jobs."
The Aerospace Research Institute will also hold its first anniversary event on the 27th in both Sacheon and Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The Aerospace Day ceremony will be held at the temporary office of the Aerospace Research Institute in Sacheon, and the declaration ceremony for Aerospace Week will be held at the National Gwacheon Science Museum. Many people claim that this is also a result of the challenges posed by the location.
Transportation conditions have not improved. Even after one year of establishment, there have been no announcements about increased flights or KTX train services. Currently, the flights connecting Gimpo Airport and Sacheon Airport operate only twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, forcing all operations to align with flight schedules.
An executive from the Aerospace Research Institute said, "Meetings held in the National Assembly usually start around 1 p.m., but if I take the morning flight from Sacheon Airport to Seoul, I arrive at Gimpo Airport after 1 p.m., making it impossible to attend on time," and added, "If a meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m., I have to go to Seoul the day before and stay overnight."
A 30-something employee who moved from a private corporation to the Aerospace Research Institute said, "I thought it wouldn't be difficult to increase the flights, given that it is an institution responsible for aviation, but the atmosphere is entirely different, which surprised me," with a wry smile.
◇ The change of government makes the future of the Aerospace Research Institute uncertain
The future of the Aerospace Research Institute has become uncertain now that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has closed its doors early. As the Aerospace Research Institute was a flagship project of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, there are discussions about potential restructuring when a new government takes office. The possibility of changing the Administrator role and adjustments to several of the institute's key projects are among the considerations.
Rep. Hwang Jeong-a, in charge of science and technology pledges for the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, proposed a bill last year to establish the Aerospace Research Institute's research and development headquarters in Daejeon. At the time, several government departments, including the Aerospace Research Institute and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, opposed it. There were significant concerns that the Aerospace Research Institute, which had not even been a year since its establishment, could essentially be split in two.
Although the Aerospace Research Institute still maintains the same position, there are voices from within, including some organizations within the mission office, calling for a shift to Daejeon. One employee from the Aerospace Research Institute said, "I believe it is necessary to formally propose a governance restructuring after consulting employee opinions once the new government takes office."
Experts suggested keeping the organizational structure of the Aerospace Research Institute intact while changing the upper governance to enhance policy capabilities. Ahn Hyung-jun, head of the team, stated, "Even if the new government is established, I hope that the policies carried out so far will continue without significant changes," adding, "As it stands now, the Aerospace Research Institute struggles to serve as a control tower, so I hope for changes such as creating a permanent organization to support the National Space Council or establishing a position for a space secretary."
Choi Ki-young, a professor of aerospace engineering at Inha University, said, "Aerospace has demand across various departments, such as the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy," and added, "I hope it becomes a practical control tower that can connect the needs and technological developments of multiple ministries."