Second Space Center: "Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City vs. Jeju" in a Two-Way Race

Korea Aerospace Administration Closes Applications for Construction Site
Final Site to Be Selected in October
Launch Pads and Reusable Launch Vehicle Landing Facilities to Be Built by 2034

The competition to establish the Second Space Center has effectively narrowed down to a two-way race between Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) plans to select the final site this coming October and begin building the national space transportation infrastructure that will support the New Space era.

On August 7, the Korea Aerospace Administration announced that, following the application period for the Second Space Center construction site, which ran from June 22 to August 6, only two local governments—Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province—submitted proposals to attract the center.

The Korean launch vehicle Nuri is standing on the launch pad at Naro Space Center in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, on November 25, 2025. Photo by The Asia Business Daily.

The Second Space Center is a national space transportation facility designed to meet the growing demand for satellite launches and the expansion of reusable launch vehicle operations. The Korea Aerospace Administration plans to build launch facilities and landing facilities for reusable launch vehicles over seven years from 2028 to 2034.

The Korea Aerospace Administration will form a site selection committee to first evaluate whether the candidate local governments meet the basic requirements. The committee will then conduct a comprehensive assessment of launch operation feasibility, the environment for infrastructure construction, the location, and the overall social conditions, with a final announcement of the selected site scheduled for October.

KASA Director Tae seog Oh stated, "The Second Space Center will be a core national space transportation infrastructure supporting the New Space era," adding, "We will select the optimal construction site through a fair and transparent process."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.