Korea Space Agency Joins Global Disaster Satellite Alliance Board
The Korea AeroSpace Administration will help shape the policies of an international satellite-sharing partnership for disaster response from 2027.
South Korea’s space agency has joined the governing board of an international partnership that mobilizes satellite imagery after major disasters, expanding the country’s role in coordinating space-based emergency response.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration, known as KASA, said it joined the board of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters during the organization’s 56th regular board meeting in Tokyo. The meeting opened Monday at Ochanomizu Sola City and is scheduled to continue through Friday. KASA will begin participating in the charter’s policy-setting work as a board member in 2027.
The charter is a voluntary and nonbinding partnership created by space agencies for humanitarian and nonprofit purposes. When earthquakes, typhoons, heavy snowfall or other major disasters occur, participating agencies can collect satellite images of affected areas, deliver those materials to authorities in the impacted country and support damage analysis. Faster access to imagery can help responders assess conditions across areas that may be difficult or dangerous to reach on the ground.
The partnership currently includes 17 member agencies. Participants represent countries including the United States, France, Japan, China and India, while the European Space Agency is also a member. Its board serves as the main decision-making body, reviewing and approving major policies and setting broader plans and strategies. Regular board meetings are held twice each year, in April and October.
Korea’s involvement with the charter predates KASA’s new board role. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute joined the partnership in 2011. Since then, the country has supplied imagery captured by national satellites to overseas areas struck by disasters. Korea has also used the network to obtain foreign satellite images quickly when emergencies occurred at home.
Under the new arrangement, KASA will work with the research institute to strengthen the country’s disaster-response capabilities. KASA oversees national aerospace policy and industry, while the institute handles Korea’s day-to-day operational work for the charter. The division links policy participation at board level with the technical coordination needed to provide and receive satellite data.
KASA chief Oh Tae-seok said board membership would reinforce Korea’s responsibility and leadership in international disaster-relief efforts. He said the agency intends to help countries overcome disasters by sharing satellite information accurately and rapidly.
The move gives Korea a direct role in shaping how the international network develops while building on 15 years of practical participation. It also places the country’s expanding space administration in a forum where technical resources are shared across borders for immediate humanitarian use.