South Korea Is Gearing Up to Become Space Powerhouse

  • New space agency was launched this week to propel South Korea
  • Country’s plans include missions for the moon as well as Mars
A Nuri rocket takes off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Korea, on June 21, 2022.Source: Korea Aerospace Research Institute/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

From Samsung’s smartphones to SK Hynix’s semiconductors, South Korean companies have spent decades catching up to – and in many cases then overtaking – powerful rivals from the US, Japan and other countries.

So far, the country has been an also-ran in the space industry, with weak funding and a few technology flops. But a new wave of government officials like Lee Jong Ho is betting that history could repeat itself.