Seoul’s Explosive Phallus Problem

Abe Denmark has only good things to say for the South Korean satellite program. But when it comes to rockets, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has come up short. So, why does KARI keep beating itself up?

South Korea’s space program is primarily driven by matters of national pride and prestige. Though North Korea is severely impoverished, its successes in developing ballistic missiles has conferred upon it a certain degree of peninsular prestige. While South Korea could have ignored the North’s missile development’s at first, these failures have raised the stakes and put Seoul in a place where it cannot back down from a civilian space program without losing face. Beyond issues of peninsular prestige, developing nations all realize that an indigenous space capability is an essential element of national power. From military C3ISR to commercial imagery and communications, space is an integral element of a modern international power. By developing an independent launch capability, South Korea could demonstrate its ability to maintain its position as a global economic, military, and technology leader.

It’s always about those northerners, eh? But, realistically, why not concentrate on what you’re good at?


Filed under: Korea, Military, Politics, Science, Space Tagged: kari, north korea, rockets, rok, satellites, South Korea