ICT ministry to set up independent body for space projects

In its policy plan for 2023 reported to President Yoon Suk-yeol, the Ministry of Science and ICT said it will seek to formulate a bill to set up a national aeronautics administration in the second half of next year.

Minister Lee Jong-ho of Science and ICT speaks during a press briefing after reporting the ministry's policy plan for next year, at the government complex in central Seoul, Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The ICT ministry said Wednesday it will establish a space agency to spearhead the country's state-led programs next year.

In its policy plan for 2023 reported to President Yoon Suk-yeol, the Ministry of Science and ICT said it will seek to formulate a bill to set up a national aeronautics administration, or the Korean version of the NASA, in the second half of next year.

The establishment of the new administration has been one of the Yoon administration’s national agenda items.

The agency will oversee government-led space programs currently scattered across various departments and agencies.

Moreover, the government will create a 50 trillion-won ($39 billion) fund to give financial support to homegrown space start-ups.

The ministry also said it will go through the third launch of Nuri, the country's first homegrown space rocket, in the first half of next year.

It will be a follow-up to the successful second test-firing of the space rocket in June this year.

On top of that, the ministry said it will funnel 25 trillion won into research and development for the next five years to promote selected strategic technologies to maintain growth momentum in the influential and emerging sectors.

It will also encourage private science labs and companies to do research in certain technologies, including quantum, advanced biology and the metaverse.

Under the scheme to promote artificial intelligence (AI) across sectors, the ministry said a special secondary school for AI education will be set up, with an institution to bring up teenage white hackers.

As part of the government's plans to broaden the 5G network, free 5G Wi-Fi services will be available on 25,000 public buses next year, up from the current 4,200.

BY YONHAP, SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]