Organizing Committee
- Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association South Texas/Houston Chapter (KSEA-ST/Houston): Jaewoong Choi (president), Crystal Shin, Jeongmin Park, Mu Sung Kweon.
- Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Houston: Young-Ho Jung (Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Houston), Sinae Sung.
The 2024 Korea-US Space Exploration Forum, co-hosted by the KSEA South Houston Chapter and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Houston, was held on November 5 at the Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel in Houston. The event drew over 100 attendees, including Korean and American business leaders, experts, members of the Korean-American community, and university students. The forum ran from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Now in its second year, the forum focused on strengthening cooperation between Korean and American companies in the space sector. From the U.S. side, prominent experts from organizations such as Boeing and Houston Spaceport participated as speakers. Notably, Hanwha Aerospace represented Korea and contributed a keynote lecture.
In his welcome address, Consul General Jung Young-ho highlighted that Korea launched the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) in May 2024 to lead national space policy, core technology development, and aerospace industry growth. He emphasized that Korea-U.S. cooperation has been accelerating since its establishment.
In the keynote speech, Dr. Chang Hyun Sohn noted that Korea aims to land on Mars by 2045 and expressed hope that this forum would foster meaningful discussions beneficial to both countries. Arturo Machuca, Director of Houston Spaceport, and Drs. Valery Aksamentov and Michael Kezirian of Boeing shared their expertise and expressed strong interest in collaborating with Korean counterparts.
Im Hyun-sang, Manager at Hanwha Aerospace, introduced Korea’s space development initiatives, highlighting milestones such as the launch of Korea’s first lunar orbiter in 2022 and the recent establishment of KASA. He also shared Korea’s ambitious goals: landing on the Moon by 2032, reaching Mars by 2045, developing next-generation rockets and lunar landers, creating a space economy, strengthening space defense capabilities, and expanding R&D efforts. He emphasized Korea’s interest in finding partners in the U.S. to enhance the efficiency of its space endeavors.
The second part of the forum featured a panel discussion and Q&A session led by Dr. Sohn, with participation from all presenters. The discussion focused on Korea’s space exploration roadmap and avenues for bilateral cooperation. The Consulate General announced its commitment to institutionalizing the Korea-U.S. Space Forum as a regular event to further promote exchanges between experts and companies in the space sector from both countries.
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