[Reporter’s Notebook] Political tussle hinders establishment of Korea’s new space body

Applause filled the press briefing room at the Naro Space Center in South Jeolla Province on the evening of May 25 as government officials, business representatives and reporters lauded the successful launch of South Korea’s homegrown Nuri rocket.

The mission validated the country’s capability to place a satellite into targeted orbit, upgrading Korea’s space competency from the previous launch which had succeeded in delivering a dummy satellite into orbit in June last year. Danuri, or Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, has been carrying out space missions since its successful launch in December.

On top of the government-led space projects, the private sector -- particularly startups -- has made a splash in accelerating the growth of the country’s space industry. For instance, Innospace became the world’s first company to successfully launch a hybrid rocket using an electric pump in March.

All these achievements align well with President Yoon Suk Yeol’s campaign pledge and the current administration’s attempt to establish a Korean version of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, tentatively named the Korea AeroSpace Administration, or KASA, before the end of the year.

However, hopes of setting up KASA before the year's end are fading as the Ministry of Science and ICT’s proposed legislation has not been able to get National Assembly approval due to objections by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.

The Democratic Party, which holds a majority of 167 seats out of the National Assembly’s 300 seats, has proposed three different acts in regard to the establishment of KASA, claiming that it does not oppose the attempt to set up a new space body.

The Democratic Party’s proposals suggest upgrading KASA’s position to be directly under the presidential office, instead of being under the Ministry of Science, which is written in the Yoon administration's proposed act. The main opposition party also proposed that the head of KASA should be given minister-level status, unlike the vice minister-level proposed by the government.

The administration's proposed act, which is composed of 19 articles, includes an unprecedented wage system for the public organization to attract space talent, special rules for flexible management and changing the head of the National Space Committee from the prime minister to the president.

The political standoff has turned into a tit-for-tat. The Democratic Party blamed it on the government’s lack of request for cooperation. The People Power Party refuted the claim.

Government data showed that Science Ministry officials, including Minister Lee Jong-ho, visited the National Assembly to explain and discuss the special KASA Act 51 visits since February. The data showed that the government officials visited the Democratic Party's side 28 times.

The main opposition party said if the People Power Party had not protested the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee’s meetings in April, and had the science minister attended the meetings, the special KASA Act would have been passed onto the National Assembly’s plenary session for a final vote.

Another political standoff surrounds the location of KASA. President Yoon’s pledge was to set up KASA in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. The special KASA law, however, does not indicate the exact location of the new space body, leading the Democratic Party to raise questions about the location of KASA.

Essentially, both parties have been pointing fingers at each other, failing to meet in the middle and wasting time.

Researchers, engineers and business officials in the space sector welcome the establishment of KASA. Further, they say it should have been set up earlier. It’s better to be late than never. But in this case, sooner than later is a must for South Korea to catch up to global space powerhouses.