Korean Satellite Company Rejects Ukraine's Request for Russian Military Movement Information

-US SpaceNews Report
-Daejeon-based SetrecEye Subsidiary SIIS
-"No Images to Share as Korean Government Increases Usage Time"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "There is no way to help." It has been reported that a South Korean satellite information company refused a request from the Ukrainian government for information on Russian troop movements.

According to space-specialized media SpaceNews on the 4th, SIIS (SI Imaging Service), a satellite information company based in Daejeon, did not accept the request for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images made by Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, on Twitter on the 1st.

Kim Moon-kyu, CEO of SIIS, said in a phone interview with the media, "At least for now, we have nothing to provide to Ukraine," adding, "We secure images using four remote sensing satellites owned by the Korean government, and the government has priority." In particular, he expressed refusal to Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov's request, saying, "Since the start of the conflict, the Korean government has significantly increased satellite usage time, especially when passing over Ukrainian airspace, so we hardly have time to produce images of Ukraine." SIIS is a subsidiary of Satrec Initiative, a leading private satellite manufacturer in Korea. It is known to hold overseas sales rights for images taken by some government-owned satellites such as Arirang-2, 3, 3A, and 5.

Earlier on the 1st, Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov publicly requested SAR satellite images of Ukraine and surrounding areas on Twitter, along with an official letter, specifically naming well-known global satellite information companies such as SIIS, Planet Labs, Maxar Technologies, Airbus SAS, BlackSky Global, ICEYE, Spire, and Capella Space. The Ukrainian government does not own its own satellites, making it difficult to monitor Russian military operations in real time. Moreover, the current weather in the Ukraine region often involves snow and clouds, making it impossible to produce proper images using infrared and visible light satellites mainly used by private companies. Especially at night, observation is completely impossible. Ultimately, real-time information through SAR radar, which can capture images through darkness and clouds, is desperately needed. Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov appealed, "It is currently impossible with our technology, so we urgently need surveillance information on Russian troop movements at night."

Meanwhile, other satellite information companies besides SIIS have also expressed refusal. Capella Space, a SAR satellite operator based in San Francisco, stated on the 2nd in response to Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov's public request, "We do not cooperate with individuals or organizations subject to sanctions or restrictions under U.S. government export laws and regulations," thereby declining the request.

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