Goheung:President Lee Jae Myung witnessed the successful launch of the Nuri rocket via live broadcast, urging further advancements in satellite technology. The event took place as the rocket deployed South Korea's first domestically launched microsatellite constellation.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee watched the launch from Cheong Wa Dae with aides, including Lee Hai-min, senior presidential secretary for AI policy and future planning. The Nuri rocket launched from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, approximately 400 kilometers south of Seoul, at 12:25 p.m., completing its mission about 20 minutes later by deploying five satellites.
In response to the successful mission, President Lee praised the government's support for space launches and expressed a desire to shorten the intervals between future launches to accelerate progress in satellite technology. He celebrated the achievement with space officials and later shared his thoughts on social media, highlighting South Korea's progress towards space sovereignty.
The newly deployed microsatellite constellation is expected to enhance national security and disaster response efforts by allowing for more frequent monitoring. The presidential spokesperson also mentioned that Lee has significantly increased support for domestic companies entering the commercial space transportation sector, allocating an additional 3.28 billion won (US$2.45 million) to facilitate five more launches by 2032.