- Co-hosting the Global New Space Forum in Seoul (Dec. 4–5) -

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of Korea and the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) will co-host the “Global New Space Forum in Seoul” from Thursday, December 4 to Friday, December 5, in Seoul and Daejeon, inviting Korean space companies and foreign space agencies from spacefaring countries.

- “New Space” refers to a space development paradigm led by private-sector companies, in contrast to traditional government-led space programs.

The Forum aims to create practical opportunities for Korean space companies to expand into global markets and strengthen cooperation with foreign space agencies. Approximately 40 Korean space companies are expected to participate, alongside delegations from 16 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Central Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

- 16 countries: the United States, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Algeria, Brazil, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Denmark, Luxembourg, the European Union (EU), Finland, New Zealand, and Japan

On the first day, December 4, the Forum will open with a keynote address by Dr. Maged Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of the Egyptian Space Agency, on Arab and African strategies for space cooperation. The program will then explore avenues for global collaboration across key segments of the space industry, including (i) visions and strategies for international space cooperation, (ii) space transportation, (iii) the satellite ecosystem, (iv) space-based services, and (v) space exploration. One-on-one meetings will also be arranged between Korean companies and foreign space agencies.

On the second day, December 5, overseas delegations will visit major Korean space facilities in Daejeon, including the Satellite & Space Exploration Test Center of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Space Environment Research Center of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), to experience Korea’s space capabilities firsthand.

Han Min-young, Director-General for Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Scientific Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that “in the space sector, foreign governments account for a significant share of procurement, and small and medium-sized Korean space startups face challenges in directly engaging with foreign government agencies and accessing essential information,” adding that “we hope this Forum will provide tangible support for Korean companies seeking to enter the global space market.”

Lee Jae-hyung, Director-General for Planning and Coordination at the Korea Aerospace Administration, noted that “this Forum will serve as an important stepping stone toward building the private sector-led space industrial ecosystem that KASA aims to foster,” and emphasized that “we will actively support networking and cooperation so that promising Korean companies can showcase their technological excellence globally and translate it into concrete business outcomes.”

Meanwhile, MOFA and KASA previously organized public-private space delegations in April and July of this year, visiting the United States and three Southeast Asian countries to facilitate networking opportunities between Korean companies and foreign space agencies.