[2021 National Audit] "Enhance Space Development Expertise and Introduce Procurement System"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] At the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee's audit on the 1st, there were continuous calls for South Korea's space development policy to be reorganized, including the introduction of procurement systems and strengthening expertise, in response to the 'New Space' era where the private sector leads the space industry.

On that day, Hong Ik-pyo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged the enhancement of civil servants' expertise. Rep. Hong said, "Although the National Space Committee was recently elevated under the Prime Minister, there must be an organization with execution and enforcement power," and pointed out that "the tenure of civil servants in charge of space development policy is also short." Space development typically takes 5 to 10 years or more, but the responsible civil servants change positions every 1 to 2 years, so continuity and expertise are not guaranteed. This situation raises concerns not only about efficiency but also about confusion.

Rep. Hong said, "Just as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy hires specialized civil servants in the field of international trade, and the Ministry of Environment hires specialized civil servants in the field of air pollution, it is necessary to hire specialized civil servants in the field of space development as well." Minister Lim Hye-sook of the Ministry of Science and ICT responded, "I agree."

There was also a call for the introduction of government procurement methods. It was suggested that South Korea should adopt the method used by NASA, which outsources projects such as lunar lander production to private companies like SpaceX. Cho Seung-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "I recently had a meeting with space startups, and the opinion was that we should enable space startups to grow rather than focusing on large corporations or research institutes," adding, "If the Korea Aerospace Research Institute presents challenging tasks, startups should be given opportunities to participate through procurement methods." Minister Lim replied, "I will consider it."

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