South Korea Expands Participation in World’s Largest Radio Telescope Project, Seeks Full Membership in 2027

Investing KRW 48.3 billion to pursue construction and operations and establish a data center
Full membership brings voting rights and expands opportunities for domestic companies to participate

South Korea is expanding its participation in the construction and operation of the world’s largest international radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). It plans to pursue full membership in the SKA Observatory (SKAO) in 2027 and to involve domestic companies in construction and operations, as well as establish an astronomical data center.

Rendering of SKAO in South Africa. Provided by Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA)

The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) said it discussed progress toward South Korea’s full membership and ways to expand cooperation at an event marking the visit of SKAO Director-General Jessica Dempsey to South Korea, held at the British Embassy in Seoul on Nov. 4. The SKA Observatory (Square Kilometre Array Observatory, SKAO) is an international organization involving 16 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany and France, and oversees the construction and operation of the giant radio telescope.

The SKA is the world’s largest international radio telescope, currently being built in Western Australia and South Africa. The international joint project, with an investment of about €2 billion (approximately KRW 3.5 trillion), aims to capture faint radio signals from the early universe and study the formation and evolution of galaxies, gravitational waves, and exoplanets.

In Australia, 512 antenna stations for low-frequency observations (SKA-Low) are planned, while 197 radio telescopes for mid- and high-frequency observations (SKA-Mid) are to be built in South Africa. The project is expected to generate about 700 petabytes (PB) of data annually, and an international data cooperation framework is being established to process this vast volume.

Through the international SKA construction project, South Korea is investing a total of KRW 48.3 billion from 2025 to 2031 to pursue participation in SKA construction and operations, related technology development, astronomical research, and the establishment of a data center.

South Korea’s full membership in the SKAO will be finalized following approval by its board and domestic ratification procedures. As a full member, South Korea will gain voting rights to participate in key SKA policy decisions. Opportunities for domestic companies to participate in the project are also expected to expand through the “Fair Work Return” system, which allocates construction and operations contracts to companies and institutions in each member country in proportion to that country’s financial contribution.

Artist's rendering of SKAO in Australia. Courtesy of KASA.

The event was organized in connection with Director-General Dempsey’s first visit to South Korea since taking office last June. A radio astronomer, Dempsey previously headed the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) and was also a founding member of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) international collaboration, which achieved the first-ever image of a black hole.

Officials from the British Embassy in Seoul, KASA, and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute attended the event to discuss South Korea’s participation in SKA construction and operations, as well as cooperation in scientific research.

Tae seog Oh, head of KASA, said, “The Director-General’s visit at a time when we are preparing for full membership will provide an opportunity to take cooperation between South Korea and the SKAO to the next level. After joining, we will make a substantive contribution to the international community through the participation of domestic companies in SKA construction and operations and the establishment of an SKA data center, and ensure that this leads to achievements by our researchers.”

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