On the morning of the 16th, the National Assembly Science. ICT. Broadcasting. and Communications Committee audit went off the rails 30 minutes after it began. It resumed after 2 p.m. but was halted again in just over 20 minutes. A war of words over a "cuss-text" between Park Jeong-hun of the People Power Party and Kim Woo-young of the Democratic Party of Korea took over the hearing room. As a result, not a single question was asked of the Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Nuclear Safety And Security Commission. A session that should have summoned witnesses to check documents and review projects tied to national security and public safety devolved into an emotional spat among lawmakers.
In remarks before the audit began, Park apologized to the public and fellow lawmakers for the disruption after a profanity-laced text he sent to Kim on the 14th was made public, but said he had "no remorse at all" toward Kim. On the 14th, Kim disclosed during the audit a text sent by Park on the 5th of last month reading, "You pathetic X."
The clash between the two has been ongoing for a month. The trigger was Kim's remarks condemning the Dec. 12 coup during a Science. ICT. Broadcasting. and Communications Committee meeting early last month, when he displayed a photo of Park's father-in-law, former Minister of Transportation Cha Gyu-heon. Park criticized, saying, "Kim disclosed my phone number, making me a target of 'gae-ddal,'" and, "Dragging out a father-in-law who passed away 15 years ago is a leftist-style guilt-by-association mindset."
The exposure of Park's mobile phone number during the disclosure of the texts became another flashpoint. Park argued, "Even for a public figure, the leak of private information is clearly a problem," while Kim countered, "It was a legitimate disclosure in terms of the public's right to know."
The confrontation did not stop at text-message volleys. The sides also stuck to opposing accounts of the "grabbing-by-the-collar incident" that occurred in a small conference room on the 5th of last month. Park claimed, "Kim grabbed me by the collar," while Kim pushed back, saying, "I was on a call when Park picked a fight, saying, 'Why are you coming in here?'"
In the end, only finger-pointing flew, and the hearing room descended into chaos. Science. ICT. Broadcasting. and Communications Committee Chairperson Choi Min-hee declared a recess at 10:56 a.m.
At the audit that day, Lee Jun-won, head of the space division (executive director) at Hanwha Aerospace, and Lee Chang-jin, emeritus professor at Konkuk University (Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) advisory commissioner), were to appear as reference witnesses to address Korea AeroSpace Administration issues. It was an important session to handle key matters in the pivot to private-sector space development, including repeated launches of Nuri and securing commercial usage rights.
But none of the issues that actually needed discussion were handled. The seventh Nuri launch slated for 2027 faces uncertainty in securing project funding, putting even the start at risk. As the "Nuri heritage project" failed to win exemption from the preliminary feasibility study, both the plan to carry two defense satellites and the development of a next-generation reusable launch vehicle are expected to face setbacks. The project is currently undergoing an adequacy re-review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and on the ground, concerns are mounting over years-long gaps in work due to funding delays. With most small space firms unable to endure even a one-year gap, there is also a risk that production know-how will be lost if investment in facilities and personnel halts.
Another issue that should have been addressed that day—the security problem at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)—was also pushed to the back burner. In Aug., a researcher set to retire removed equipment such as a research computer and monitor to the outside with her husband, but the institute did not immediately detect it. KARI only began internal checks after a materials request from a lawmaker's office, reported to the Korea AeroSpace Administration on the 1st after consultations between the audit and security departments, and the National Intelligence Service and the space agency are now conducting a joint investigation.