"Korea's plans for the space sector are impressive, but the long-term goals and concrete plans to achieve them are not visible."
On the 21st, the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) was held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. A businessperson from the Australian Department of Commerce delegation who visited the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) booth that day said, "If it's clear where you want to go in 20 to 30 years—manned exploration, space medicine, large launch vehicles, space stations—then what to do for research and development (R&D) follows," adding, "But that picture is hard to see."
The person said, "We are a company that makes wireless communication equipment for autonomous systems such as drones, and we are seeking cooperation with Korean corporations," adding, "While supplying our communication technology to Korea's defense industry, we are also reviewing ways to jointly export Korea's advanced technology to international markets."
The space agency officially took part in ADEX for the first time this year. It was also the first time a "space and aerospace technology hall" was set up at ADEX, which had been perceived as a defense industry-centered event. The space agency said it organized a space and aerospace hall there together with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) so that visitors could see at a glance representative technologies and policy visions in launch vehicles, exploration, satellites, and astronomy.
Upon entering the exhibition hall that day, a one-tenth scale model of the Korean launch vehicle Nuri was the first thing to catch the eye. Behind it, the lunar orbiter Danuri, the multipurpose practical satellite (Arirang), the next-generation medium satellite, and satellites for the Korea Positioning System (KPS) were displayed side by side. The EAV-4, a stratospheric unmanned aircraft capable of long-duration flight with solar cells, also drew visitors' attention.
However, most of the technologies on display focused on project outcomes from the past five years. As for future plans, the lineup ended with Nuri's fourth launch scheduled for Nov., the Arirang-6 satellite slated for launch next year, and the KPS satellites planned for launch in 2029. As the Australian delegation member noted, exhibition panels presenting long-term plans or a future roadmap were hard to find.
Unlike other booths that drew crowds with weapons demonstrations and video performances, the explanation-centered, static booth layout left something to be desired. The SBIR (Small Business Innovation research and development) seminar held that day drew only a handful of attendees, and inside the booth, staff explanations and occasional visits by some foreign delegations continued intermittently. Although the space agency is promoting the fostering of the space industry as a new pillar of national growth, the atmosphere on the ground still felt weighted toward defense.
An official at the space agency said, "Since ADEX is a defense-centered exhibition, it's true that in our first year we focused on showcasing past achievements," adding, "Only parts of future projects were reflected, so the critique that the future plans section was weak is valid." The official said, "At the next exhibition, we will supplement it by presenting both ongoing projects and future plans."
Recently, the space agency began follow-up work to flesh out its long-term strategy. The "KASA space propulsion strategy technology roadmap" now underway is going through public comment and hearing procedures. The roadmap serves as a future blueprint for Korean-style space development and lays out mid- to long-term strategies to secure technologies in three areas: space transportation, satellites, and space science exploration. A total of 135 core technologies are included, and industry, academia, and research institutes are participating to set phased development goals and devise ways to build a private sector-led ecosystem.
A science and technology official said, "The space agency has set the broad direction of a Moon landing in 2032 and Mars exploration in 2045, but it's true that detailed plans aligned with those goals are still lacking," adding, "This ADEX exhibition laid bare those limitations and concerns."