South Korea expands space partnerships under new agency chief

May 6 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's space agency chief is expanding international partnerships early in his tenure, seeking to strengthen cooperation with global space powers and boost domestic industry competitiveness.

Oh Tae-seok, head of the Korea AeroSpace Administration, has made multiple visits to the United States in recent weeks to meet with foreign space leaders and private companies, the agency said Wednesday.

During a mid-April trip, Oh attended the 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, where he held talks with officials from the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. He also met Jared Isaacman, the newly appointed head of NASA, and agreed to explore joint projects.

Oh also signed a memorandum of understanding with Lisa Campbell, president of the Canadian Space Agency, to expand cooperation in areas including Earth observation, space science and low-Earth orbit satellite communications.

In early May, Oh returned to the United States to deepen engagement with private companies. He visited Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and held meetings with SpaceX and Umbra Space to discuss satellite launches and collaboration on small satellite development and data utilization.

Oh requested SpaceX's support for the launch of South Korea's next-generation mid-sized satellite No. 4, scheduled for the second half of this year.

"South Korea will continue expanding cooperation with leading space nations and companies to enhance the competitiveness of its private sector," Oh said.

The agency is also strengthening ties with India, which recently achieved a historic landing near the moon's south pole. Last month, South Korea hosted a "Korea-India Space Day" in Bengaluru with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center to discuss joint technology development with local firms.

Internally, the agency is reviewing plans to expand its international cooperation division to better support global partnerships.

Officials said organizational restructuring is under consideration as South Korea seeks to position itself more competitively in the global space industry.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 7:10 PM.