CHARTING A PATH
IN THE
UNCHARTED DOMAIN
The Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea) is rising as a prominent player in the space domain. The size of its space program makes its current position as an emerging space power even more impressive and promising. The United States, one of South Korea’s closest political and defense allies, and South Korea share a considerable history in space cooperation since the late 1980s.
Despite the long history of collaboration between the United States and South Korea, fundamental differences have slowed their progress toward a deeper and more meaningful cooperation in this domain. As space becomes an integral aspect of national security and a coveted frontier for scientific endeavor and exploration, the two capitals have much to gain through enhanced cooperation.
Full report: "Charting a Path in the Uncharted Domain"
The Path Forward: Recommendations for U.S. and ROK Policymakers
Interactive timeline of significant milestones of U.S.-ROK space cooperation
THE PATH FORWARD
Recommendations for the
U.S. & ROK Policymakers
POLITICAL
One.
Signal the importance of space cooperation between
the United States and the Republic of Korea.
Continue to message the importance of space cooperation in the broader security cooperation context and advance principles outlined in joint statements by establishing actionable milestones and implementation plans.
Two.
Partner to uphold rules and norms of space sustainability with
other space faring and emerging space nations.
Encourage nations in the Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum, the U.N.'s World Space Forum, the International Telecommunication Union, and other regional and international forums to uphold norms and rules in the use of space.
Three.
Build trust through open dialogues
about the threat picture.
Facilitate regular and routine bilateral consultations to build mutual trust in pursuit of a deeper understanding of each other's posture and objectives, and in demonstration of dependability and credibility in commitments.
Four.
Expand space cooperation with
the Indo-Pacific in mind.
Explore a train-the-trainer model to empower the ROK as a legitimate partner to the United States and expand the United States' expertise and influence in the space domain, bolstering capabilities and deepening expertise with respect for rules and norms with the Indo-Pacific countries.
Five.
Expand cooperation in the space domain
within the U.S.-ROK-Japan relationship.
Pursue opportunities for cooperation in the space domain in a trilateral context, to include dialogue on security cooperation in space, information sharing on nuclear and missile threats from DPRK, and space forces joint exercises to promote interoperability.
Six.
Establish clear channels of communication,
a whole-of-government approach.
Encourage a whole-of-government approach in space cooperation by clarifying channels of communication across all agencies.
Seven.
Boost domestic support to stabilize
space-related infrastructures.
Highlight the potential value and benefits of space exploration and economy to excite the public and ensure the longevity of space-related investments and activities.
DEFENSE
One.
Integrate space into the existing
defense efforts and exercises.
Build upon existing security and defense apparatus - joint military planning and exercises, training, and dialogues - to expand space cooperation.
Two.
Establish space training mechanisms to
work towards space interoperability.
Explore training opportunities between the U.S. and ROK's space forces and with other countries' space assets.
Three.
Strengthen Space Situational Awareness cooperation with
an eye toward Space Domain Awareness.
Use capabilities such as the electro-optical surveillance system to boost the U.S. and ROK's ability to detect, characterize, and understand space activities; push for joint operations using the current military structures; and advocate for additional space-based wargames among allied partners.
TECHNOLOGICAL
One.
Recognize that space launch vehicle technology is important to ROK's technological and economic progress.
Focus collaborative efforts on areas of mutual interest and benefit that support both countries' security goals and objectives in the Indo-Pacific.
Two.
Seek a mutual (re)commitment to the importance of nonproliferation and sensitive technology protection.
(Re)commit to confine any newly acquired technology to the space domain, refrain from advancing missile technology, and establish safe space technology sharing mechanisms.
Three.
Prioritize collaboration in the
areas of unique strengths.
Identify areas of overlap and learn to deconflict; focus on leveraging existing and potential strengths to deepen space cooperation.
COMMERCIAL
One.
Establish a public-private partnership framework to ensure supply chain resiliency in the space industrial base and ecosystem.
Create a forum for space entities to interact and learn about each other's strengths and assets, explore opportunities for meaningful collaboration, and discuss solutions that can adapt to the fast-changing security environment.
Two.
Explore elevating ROK's QA status to the
Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement
Discuss milestones that elevate ROK's Reciprocal Government Quality Assurance Agreement (QA) status to the Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement to signal the creation and promotion of an ecosystem with trusted partners and allies.
For other insightful research products on Indo-Pacific security and affairs, visit Project 2049 Institute.
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