Jinju City Launches Full-Scale Space Industry Initiative... Establishes Industry-Academia-Research Collaboration Framework

Agreement Signed for Ground Station Construction and Corporate Investment

Targeting Completion by 2027

Three Major Agreements From Satellite Ground Station Development to Attracting Companies

On April 23, Gyeongsangnam-do Province and Jinju City signed business agreements and investment agreements at the Jinju City Hall's cultural lecture room, together with Gyeongsang National University, Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), and four companies in the space sector, to foster the space industry in Gyeongnam.

The signing ceremony was attended by Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Park Wansu, Jinju Mayor Jo Kyuil, Gyeongsang National University President Kwon Jinhoe, Korea Testing Laboratory Director Song Junkwang, as well as representatives from Ilchem, Genoco, GTL, and Hancom Inspace, who agreed to establish a collaborative framework for the space industry.

[Photo by Jinju City] Group photo of signing a business agreement and investment agreement for fostering the space industry in Gyeongnam

This round of agreements consisted of three separate contracts.

First, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jinju City, Gyeongsang National University, and KTL signed a business agreement for the construction and operation of a ground station for the Next-Generation Advanced Satellite Global Special Zone.

Accordingly, each organization will take on dedicated roles, such as securing land for the ground station on the Gyeongsang National University campus, establishing control facilities, arranging operational funding, and opening the facilities to private entities.

A total of 9.2 billion won (4.6 billion won from the national government, 1.38 billion won from the province, and 3.22 billion won from Jinju City) will be invested in constructing the ground station, with completion targeted for December 2027.

In addition, a business agreement to foster the space industry in Gyeongnam was signed. Gyeongsangnam-do, Jinju City, Gyeongsang National University, KTL, and the four companies—Ilchem, Genoco, GTL, and Hancom Inspace—agreed to cooperate on expanding local investment, creating jobs for specialized personnel, and supporting the establishment of headquarters, branches, and research institutes in the region.

Furthermore, Ilchem, a space company based in Anyang, signed an investment agreement with Gyeongsangnam-do and Jinju City for the Jinju District of the Gyeongnam Aerospace National Industrial Complex. Ilchem plans to invest 10 billion won by 2029 to establish manufacturing facilities for space batteries and battery pack-based energy storage systems, and to hire new local employees.

A Jinju City official stated, "We expect the construction of the ground station infrastructure and the attraction of companies to strengthen the foundation of the aerospace industry ecosystem. We will continue to support and collaborate for the growth of related industries in the future."

Meanwhile, the 'Next-Generation Advanced Satellite Global Special Zone' project is a program covering Jinju and Sacheon (1,112 km²), with a total investment of 25.2 billion won from June 2025 to December 2029, aimed at satellite design, manufacturing, demonstration, and ground station construction.

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