South Korea Has 0 LEO Satellites for Communications Services... "Communications Sovereignty Must Be Secured"

[Financial News] It has been confirmed that no low-Earth-orbit (LEO) communications satellites are currently operating to provide communications services in South Korea. The government plans to build a Korean LEO satellite communications network, but no specific plan has yet been established. As global competition over LEO satellite communications accelerates, calls are growing for South Korea to push ahead with building its own LEO network to secure its future communications sovereignty.
On the 5th, data submitted by the Ministry of Science and ICT to Kim Woo-young, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker and member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, showed that the number of LEO communications satellites currently providing communications services in South Korea is 0. The government's LEO satellite communications research and development (R&D) project has a total budget of 322.4 billion won, comprising 300.4 billion won in government funding and 22 billion won in private funds. The plan calls for launching 2 satellites by 2030.
By contrast, global companies are seeking to take the lead in the market by operating tens of thousands of LEO satellites. SpaceX operates about 11,000 satellites and plans to expand that number to 42,000. Eutelsat OneWeb aims to increase its fleet from about 650 to 6,300 satellites, while Amajo plans to expand from about 390 to 3,200.
Competition for national-level investment is also intensifying. China is pursuing the Guowang project, which calls for launching 12,992 communications satellites. The European Union (EU) is investing €10.6 billion (approximately 18 trillion won) in IRIS2, a project to build its own LEO satellite communications network consisting of 290 satellites. Japan is pursuing an investment of approximately 150 billion yen (about 1.4 trillion won) in the J-LEO project for direct communications between satellites and smartphones.
The South Korean government is also pursuing the construction of a Korean LEO satellite communications network, but no specific schedule or plan has been established. The Ministry of Science and ICT said its LEO Satellite Communications Review Task Force (TF) had developed scenarios for a Korean LEO satellite communications network ranging from approximately 128 to 512 satellites. However, it responded that specific implementation details, including annual plans and a service schedule, would be developed later through a pan-government and public-private cooperation framework.
The need for a massive budget is a major challenge that must be addressed. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, operating 256 satellites is estimated to cost approximately 7.4 trillion won. Because satellites have limited lifespans, continuous reinvestment is also required to manufacture and launch replacements, further increasing the necessary budget.
A strategy is also needed to put an internationally registered satellite network into actual operation. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, satellites must be launched and operations must begin within seven years of filing an international registration application. If the satellites are not launched, the registered network will be deleted. Even after operations begin, phased requirements apply: 10% of the planned satellites must be deployed within two years, 50% within five years, and 100% within seven years.
In this regard, lawmaker Kim Woo-young said, "LEO satellite communications is not simply a matter of launching a few satellites; it is key infrastructure that will determine the future communications sovereignty of the Republic of Korea," adding, "While SpaceX is already operating more than 10,000 satellites, the reality is that South Korea still does not have even a single LEO satellite for communications services."
Kim said, "If the government has prepared scenarios for a Korean satellite communications network ranging from 128 to 512 satellites, it must now go beyond consideration and present a concrete timetable showing when and how the network will be built and when the public and industry will actually be able to use the services."

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