Experts and government officials in the space sector from Korea and France discuss cooperation measures at the Korea-France Space Forum on Dec. 12 at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. The forum was the last event to close the 2015-2016 Year of Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges.
The 2015-2016 Year of Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges came to a close with a gathering to discuss cooperation in space between both countries.
The Korea-France Space Forum was held in Seoul on Dec. 12 ahead of the year-round event to mark the bilateral friendship between Seoul and Paris. The forum was attended by government officials, industry leaders, research institutes and academia from both countries.
The forum, the first of its kind on space between Korea and France, was composed of three sessions. Forum participants discussed cooperation measures in the future on the themes of space policies, space industries and future challenges, climate change, education and fostering talented workforce in space sector.
In the second session, leading businesses in the space sector from both countries engaged in an in-depth discussion on the roles of companies in space development. The France participants included Arianespace, Thales Group, Airbus Defense and Space and ASL. The Korean attendees included Hanwha Techwin, Korea Aerospace Industries, Satrec Initiative and KT Sat.
Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning Choi Yanghee expresses the Korean government’s will to bolster cooperation in space with France at the Korea-France Space Forum.
Over the last 20 years from 1990 to 2015, Korea and France have been working together by signing five memorandums of understanding (MOU) in space technology cooperation which included satellite development, space center construction and space education.
For bilateral cooperation in space, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales of France signed an MOU in technical advice in space center construction in 2002. The two organizations also cooperated in the development of the launch pad of NARO Space Center in 2015.
Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning Choi Yanghee said, “More than 20 years ago since the launch of the first satellite Uribyol-1 (KITSAT-1), Korea has been working closely with France in every important occasion in the history of space development.”
“Both countries can realize innovation in space technology when various entities in space development can freely spread and combine scientific knowledge,” said the minister.
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: KARI
arete@korea.kr
