Category: Korea-General Topics

Congratulations to everyone at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute that helped developed this successful rocket:

 South Korea on Tuesday successfully launched its homegrown space rocket Nuri in the second attempt to put satellites into orbit, reaching a major milestone in the country’s space program.

The 200-ton Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, blasted off from the Naro Space Center in the country’s southern coastal village of Goheung at 3:59:59.9 p.m. and successfully completed its flight sequence, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The rocket also deployed satellites at the target altitude of 700 kilometers as planned. Of those, a performance verification satellite successfully reached its orbit, according to officials.

According to Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), Nuri’s first stage rocket separated 123 seconds after launch at an altitude of 62 kilometers, followed by its fairing and second stage rocket separations at altitudes of 202 kilometers and 273 kilometers, respectively.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but I believe that space technology is the next major growth market and South Korea is trying to develop the rocket technology to be part of that market.

Best of luck for a successful launch to all the ROK engineers that worked so hard on developing this rocket:

South Korea’s homegrown space rocket Nuri will be moved to the launch pad early Monday as planned for its scheduled launch the following day, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said Sunday.

The institute canceled its initial plan to launch Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, last Thursday after a part in the oxidizer tank sensor was seen malfunctioning during a final pre-launch checkup at the launch pad in Naro Space Center in Goheung, a southern coastal village some 470 kilometers south of Seoul. 

The launch was rescheduled to Tuesday after aerospace engineers replaced the malfunctioning part.

Nuri will be transported from the assembly building to the launch pad at 7:20 a.m., the aerospace institute decided in a meeting of the flight test committee.

The liftoff is likely to take place at 4 p.m. Tuesday, but the time could change, officials said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I just don’t see how any country with a modern economy like South Korea can achieve carbon neutrality without using nuclear power. It is good to see that the new Korean government has come around to this reality:

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has said South Korea will actively use nuclear energy to meet its target of carbon neutrality and as a tool for the nation’s energy security. 

Han made the remarks in a video address to a global climate meeting hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday. 

South Korea “will actively utilize nuclear power plants as a means of energy security and carbon neutrality,” Han told the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, according to a statement provided by Han’s office. 

South Korea has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from the 2018 levels by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The isolation requirements may have been lifted, COVID testing before and after arrival is still required:

On Wednesday, the government lifted the mandatory seven-day self-isolation period for all international arrivals, regardless of their nationalities or vaccination status.

Still, international arrivals are required to take a PCR virus test within three days of their entry into South Korea. They also must submit a negative COVID-19 result — by taking either a PCR test or supervised rapid antigen test — before boarding flights to South Korea.

South Korea increased the number of weekly flights on international routes to 732 in June from 532 in May as it began fully normalizing the operation of Incheon International Airport amid growing air travel demand.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It will be interesting to see if Park Sang-hak and his team of activists will have to worry about being arrested for their activities by the new Korean government in power:

A North Korean defector group sent masks, Tylenol and vitamin C supplements across the border to the North via balloons on Sunday, citing concerns about North Koreans “suffering in the recent spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.”  
   
The flights will test the resolve of the new Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which inherited from the previous government a law outlawing such activities.  

“We sent 20,000 masks, 15,000 Tylenol pills, and 30,000 vitamin C tablets in 20 large balloons from Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on June 5,” said Park Sang-hak, head of Fighters for a Free North Korea, an organization of North Korean defectors that is critical of the North Korean regime, on Tuesday. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but ROK Heads may remember that Park Sang-hak has been the victim of multiple assassination attempts by North Korean agents and assaulted by Korean leftists. He has also had leftists intrude at his house and has been repeatedly arrested and harassed by the Moon administration in effort to stop his group’s activities. .

The COVID numbers continue to improve in South Korea despite the dropping of most social distancing protocols:

South Korea’s new coronavirus cases fell below 10,000 on Sunday due to fewer tests the previous day as the country works to return to pre-pandemic normalcy.

The country added 9,835 COVID-19 infections, including 48 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,163,686, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

The daily caseload is down from 12,048 on Saturday.

Daily infections have shown a downward trend after posting an all-time high of over 620,000 in mid-March.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

If anyone even cares at this point, South Korea’s daily COVID numbers have steeply declined:

South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases fell to below 16,000 Wednesday amid a slowing virus trend, as authorities take steps for a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. 

The country added 15,797 COVID-19 infections, including 44 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,119,415, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. 

The daily cases have marked a steady decline since the all-time daily high of more than 620,000 in mid-March. The infection numbers have fallen to five digits or under since April 21. 

The death toll came to 24,197, up 21 from Tuesday, with the fatality rate at 0.13 percent.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This is another example of how workers got used to something and don’t want to go back to the way things were before the pandemic:

Unionized workers of Seoul Metro are strongly protesting against the city government’s plan to resume late-night subway operations, a measure proposed to tackle the worsening nighttime taxi shortage in the capital.

The union that represents workers of a part of Seoul’s subway system which runs lines 1 to 8, held a rally in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Government office, Tuesday, demanding the local government withdraw its plan to extend operating hours.

“Late-night operations were suspended not only because of the coronavirus pandemic but also due to worsening operating losses, which nearly pushed the operator into bankruptcy. It is difficult to understand why the government has abruptly announced resumption of late-night operations, without any measures to resolve these issues,” the union said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the metropolitan government said it will extend subway operating hours on weekdays until 1 a.m., thereby increasing operations by one hour from the current midnight closing time, starting at some point in June.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.