SEOUL – South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and NASA Deputy Chief Pamela Melroy convened on Tuesday to advance space cooperation between South Korea's newly launched space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), and NASA.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting underscored the growing partnership in space exploration between the two nations. Minister Cho expressed optimism about active collaboration with NASA, emphasizing that "Space cooperation between the two countries, based on the S. Korea-U.S. alliance, is a core aspect of our space diplomacy, and cooperation with NASA is particularly important." The discussions also touched on the strategic significance of this cooperation given KASA's recent establishment in Sacheon in May.
Melroy, a retired astronaut, noted South Korea's important role as a space cooperation partner that shares key values such as transparency and democracy with the United States. She expressed enthusiasm for continued collaboration in satellite development and space observation, highlighting South Korea's status as a leading space power in Asia.
The bilateral meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to enhance their space cooperation through existing consultative bodies and frameworks established by a bilateral space agreement signed in 2016.