Ground Breaking Ceremony For Gohung Space Center

A groundbreaking ceremony for a space center which will house a rocket launching pad was held yesterday at 3 o`clock in Yenae-ri, Kohung-gun, South Jeolla Province.

The ceremony was attended by some 700 officials and local residents including Prime Minister Goh Kun, Science and Technology Minister Park Ho-koon and South Jeolla Province Gov. Park Tae-young.

The space center, scheduled to be completed by late 2005 at its 1,500,000 pyeong (4,950,000 sq. meters) area in Haban Town, is estimated to cost 150 billion won and the center will be equipped with a rocket launching pad, launching control systems, assembly facilities, rocket testing facilities, a space simulator, and press center. The Ministry of the Science and Technology, with completion of the science center in late 2005, will launch a rocket that will have been developed there with its own technology.

Once the space center is completed, South Korea will become the world`s 13th country with a satellite launching site. President Roh Moo-hyun said in a video taped congratulation message that “space technology is the strategic technology that South Korea needs to transform into a country that has strong science and technology foundation.” He also wished success of space technology development projects, including the space center.