SEOUL - The chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Admiral Kim Myung-soo, met with U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) commander General Stephen Whiting on Monday to discuss enhancing joint space defense capabilities in response to North Korean threats.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting focused on strengthening coordination in space policy and operations amid concerns that North Korea may be preparing to launch its second spy satellite. The discussions come after North Korea's first such launch in November, and amid its growing military collaboration with Russia. The two sides agreed to develop combined space operations, establish a military space consultative body, and conduct a tabletop exercise focused on space domains. These steps aim to bolster their collective space defense capabilities.
General Whiting's visit to Seoul, his first since taking office in January, underscores the deepening space defense collaboration between South Korea and the United States. This partnership was further highlighted by the establishment of U.S. Space Forces Korea under U.S. Forces Korea in December 2022, as Seoul and Washington continue to expand their strategic cooperation in the space arena.