Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

The Korean Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense convened the 23rd Korea-U.S. Space Cooperation Working Group (SCWG) meeting in Washington, D.C., on November 7, 2024 (local time).

The meeting was co-chaired by Park Hee-jeong, head of the Republic of Korea's Strategic Command Inauguration Task Force (Army Brigadier General), and David Vorland, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Missile Defense at the U.S. Department of Defense. Senior officials from both nations also participated.

During the SCWG meeting, the two sides engaged in in-depth discussions to enhance defense space cooperation in various fields, including space policy, exercises and training, and personnel exchanges.

They jointly condemned North Korea's recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, describing it as a blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Both leaders expressed shared concerns over the growing military collaboration between Russia and North Korea, which includes the transfer of weapons and advanced technologies such as missiles and military reconnaissance satellites. They emphasized that this partnership poses a serious threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader Indo-Pacific region. The two nations reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with the international community to address these challenges.

Both nations shared their respective national space policies and underscored the importance of enhancing interoperability and expanding information sharing to strengthen the Alliance’s space capabilities. They also commended the progress in defense space cooperation achieved through the SCWG to date.

The two sides agreed on Korea’s participation in the Joint Commercial Operations Cell (JCO) of the U.S. Space Force. Additionally, they decided to establish a Republic of Korea (ROK)-U.S. combined table-top exercise (TTX) against space threats to address growing space-based threats.

* After mastering the task procedures for JCO Cell operations, Korea will formally participate in TTX in January 2025. The first exercise is scheduled for the first half of 2025, with the goal of holding it annually.

To enhance their missile detection and response capabilities against North Korea, the two sides committed to expediting the establishment of the U.S. Shared Early Warning System (SEWS), set to begin in 2025.

Furthermore, specialized training courses offered by the U.S. Space Force will commence in Korea to support the development of professional space personnel. The SPACE-100 Introductory Space Course will be launched in December 2024, followed by the Coalition Space Course (CSpC) in April 2025. These programs are designed to bolster the space capabilities of the ROK military.

The meeting also included discussions on expanding bilateral cooperation in addressing space threats and risks. Topics included increasing international collaboration, assigning Korean liaison officers to U.S. Space Force units, and fostering advanced defense space technology partnerships. Both parties pledged to continue these discussions in the future.

The two countries reaffirmed the necessity of close joint efforts in the space domain and committed to further deepening defense space cooperation across various areas, building on the progress achieved so far.