Hancom to Launch 'Sejong-1' Satellite Next Year... Targeting Video Data Market

Hancom to Launch Next Year's Satellite 'Sejong 1'
First Domestic Private Earth Observation Satellite
Sequential Launches Planned up to 5th Satellite
In-House Developed Reconnaissance Drone Debuts

'Second-Generation Management' Under Kim Yeonsu Begins
Building Video Data Belt Covering Space, Aviation, and Ground

Yeonsu Kim, Head of Future Strategy, Hancom Group

Hancom Group will launch ‘Sejong-1,’ the first domestic private satellite for Earth observation, in the first half of next year. Under the leadership of Kim Yeon-su, the eldest daughter of Chairman Kim Sang-cheol and co-CEO of Hancom (also in charge of Group Future Strategy), Hancom Group is officially entering second-generation management and plans to secure future growth engines by targeting the video data market. The company, which grew around the Korean word processor ‘Hangul (HWP),’ has made bold investments in new businesses through aggressive mergers and acquisitions (M&A) led by Chairman Kim, and is now expanding its scope to the space industry.

Sequential Launch of Up to Five Satellites

On the 2nd, Hancom Group held an online press briefing to unveil its business strategy for video data services encompassing satellites, drones, and long-range surveillance cameras. CEO Kim said, "The video data business is one of the major pillars of Hancom Group’s new ventures," adding, "Through satellite launches, we will set a new milestone in the field of video data."

Hancom Inspace, a space and aerospace specialist company acquired by Hancom Group last year, is collaborating with Spire Global, a leading U.S. space satellite data company, for the launch of Sejong-1. Choi Myung-jin, CEO of Hancom Inspace, stated, "The global space industry is entering a ‘New Space’ era led by the private sector," and added, "Through this satellite launch, we will lead the New Space era of the domestic space industry."

Choi Myung-jin, CEO of Hancom Inspace

Sejong-1 is a low Earth orbit micro-satellite measuring 20cm in width, 10cm in length, 30cm in height, and weighing 10.8kg. Orbiting at an altitude of 500km, it will circle the Earth 12 to 14 times a day, approximately once every 90 minutes, collecting video data in seven wavelength bands using a 5-meter resolution observation camera. Following the launch of Sejong-1, Hancom Group plans to sequentially launch up to five satellites and, depending on business growth, operate a constellation of more than 50 satellites. This will allow for segmentation of Earth observation areas and reduction of data acquisition time, with ambitions to expand into global services.

Regarding this, Kwon Se-jin, Director of the KAIST Satellite Research Center, commented, "A 5-meter resolution is not technically challenging considering the performance of domestically produced and launched satellites (0.5-meter resolution)," and added, "If the constellation satellite system allows multiple satellites to continuously monitor target points, it would be meaningful."

Building a Video Data Belt

On the same day, Hancom Group also introduced its self-developed reconnaissance drone, the ‘HD-500.’ This observation drone is optimized for image and video data collection. The company plans to release special-purpose drones for education, agriculture, defense, and industry in the future. By directly owning satellites and developing drones in-house, Hancom Group aims to establish an ‘all-in-one’ service system covering video data collection, management, analysis, and sales, securing a unique competitive edge.

Hancom Group will also establish a joint venture (JV) with Infinity Optics, a global video camera company based in Canada. They will jointly develop sensors for satellites and pioneer the domestic market for fully integrated ultra-high-resolution sensors. The company explained, "By securing satellites, drones, and fully integrated ultra-high-resolution sensors, we will uniquely build a video data service belt that covers space, air, and ground worldwide." To this end, they will invest approximately 20 billion KRW in satellites, drones, cameras, and related technologies.

Hancom Group will prioritize the agriculture sector, which has the highest demand in the video data service market. Their target markets include the domestic market as well as Southeast Asia. Beyond agriculture, they plan to expand data utilization to forest resources, disaster management, urban change detection, and provide video data services tailored to various public sector demands. CEO Choi emphasized, "The global video data market is expected to grow significantly from 81 trillion KRW this year to 100 trillion KRW in 2024," adding, "We will pursue bold differentiation strategies and investments to secure market leadership." Hancom Inspace, targeting the global market, also announced plans to pursue overseas listing within three years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.