Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) President Lee Joo-jin

In a Yonhap News Agency interview, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) President Lee Joo-jin stated that South Korea aims to bridge the gap in rocket and satellite technology with leading countries in the field of space exploration over the next decade by ramping up research and development and expanding cooperation with foreign agencies.

Lee said that while the country currently relies on foreign assistance to send a satellite-bearing rocket into orbit, continued research and development efforts and cooperative tie-ups with foreign space agencies should allow it to become more independent.

“In the medium and low altitude satellite fields, the country has reached 80 percent capability vis-a-vis leading countries like the United States and Russia, while the gap stands at roughly 40 percent for geosynchronous (an orbital period that matches the rotation rate of the Earth) and communication satellites,” Lee said.