President Yoon Suk Yeol on July 6 applauds with other participants after watching a video at a ceremony for the declaration of the space economy at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Daejeon's Yuseong-gu District.

By Park Hye Ri and Kim Hayeon

Photos = Office of the 20th President

President Yoon Suk Yeol on July 6 congratulated the second launch of the nation's first homegrown rocket Nuri, saying, "Korea will open widely the era of the space economy."

At a ceremony for the declaration of the space economy at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon's Yuseong-gu District, the chief executive hailed researchers and other personnel who worked on the spacecraft's development as "Nuri's heroes."

"With the successful launch, Korea has become the world's seventh space power possessing both advanced satellite and launch vehicle technologies," he said.

The president also said the nation's future depends on the space industry, a key sector for national competitiveness, and announced plans for an official space exploration agency while pledging full and systematic support for technological development of space exploration like exploratory robots and space traffic.

President Yoon urged the country to actively take on the challenge of exploring, extracting resources from and developing internet in space, areas that are considered the exclusive fields of advanced countries. He also stressed the importance of boosting new service industries such as self-driving cars, drones and urban air mobility through Korean-style satellite navigation systems and 6G communication satellites.

"We will develop a lunar lander by 2031 and expand our participation in the U.S.-led Artemis program," he said. "To achieve major progress in the space economy era, the government will preferentially reflect opinions from researchers and those on-site and closely cooperate with companies both at home and abroad."

Korea Aerospace Research Institute staff on July 6 stand in line to get coffee and snacks from a food truck sent by President Yoon Suk Yeol to congratulate the institute's efforts for a successful launch of the rocket Nuri. He sent two trucks with coffee and cookies enough for 1,000 people.

hrhr@korea.kr