SEOUL (BLOOMBERG) - South Korea's space programme is set for a major boost with new satellites to keep it at the forefront of the 6G communications competition and more eyes in the sky for national security purposes, the science minister said.

Ms Lim Hye-sook said this means launching multitasking satellites on home-grown rockets and, eventually, a mission to the moon. "Space exploration will be the platform for new businesses," Ms Lim, who received her doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Texas, said in an interview with Bloomberg this week.

South Korea saw limits removed on its rocket development earlier this year when the United States lifted restrictions on a bilateral agreement, which could help the country build more powerful rocket engines and quickly play catch-up in the commercial space business.

US President Joe Biden and President Moon Jae-in ended the bilateral missile guideline in May that had long restricted Seoul's development of missiles to under the range of 800km.

One big test comes in October when South Korea plans to launch its three-stage Nuri rocket, a US$1.8 billion (S$2.4 billion) project designed to put a 1.5-ton satellite into orbit about 600 to 800km above the Earth. It would be a major advancement over its two-stage Naro space vehicle built with domestic and Russian technology that was hit by delays and two failed launches before a successful flight in 2013 - carrying a 100kg research satellite.

"The space industry is a cutting edge industry that's based on intelligence, but also a crucial one for national strategy in terms of securing national security and public safety," Ms Lim said.

She did not mention any specific country that may be watched from above but the military threat from North Korea has persisted since the Cold War, while a more aggressive China has raised concerns in Seoul.

South Korea may be a world leader in several tech sectors, but its space programme lags behind that of neighbours China and Japan. North Korea has fired off intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and a rudimentary civilian rocket using ICBM technology that could be seen as exceeding what South Korea has launched so far.

South Korea has been pushing to fully activate its "425 Project" of high-resolution surveillance satellites as early as next year, which would have civilian and military applications to watch the likes of North Korea and China.

South Korea is planning to build its own satellite navigation system, as well as a 6G communications satellite network, Ms Lim said, adding it plans to send a spaceship to the moon by 2030.

South Korea has been aiming to send a probe there for more than a decade and, in May, it joined Nasa's Artemis programme, which plans to return humans to the lunar surface.

Ms Lim also talked about plans to bolster the semiconductor industry, coronavirus research and heading to the moon in the interview.

Here are some highlights:

Semiconductors

"In the semiconductor industry for example, the memory chip sector is one where South Korea is the best in the world. However, we're unable to secure an edge for the system semiconductor market. Securing an edge would be extremely helpful in securing a gateway to the world supply chain."

Digital new deal

"We're pushing for many South Koreans to learn digital technology to lessen the impact of the digital divide, and we're actively cultivating human resources regarding software and artificial intelligence."

Virus research centre

"We're looking forward to putting together the research conducted separately by universities and research institutes. We think it'll take the role of a holistic support system for virus research support and the latest facilities for research."

Nasa's Artemis

"The most significant part is that South Korea gets to participate in space exploration. We will make an effort to operate in a transparent and responsible way. We plan on expanding space exploration-related investment through joining the Artemis programme and revising our system to work on the foundation for the private sector to lead in space exploration."

Global positioning

"Should we have our own South Korean satellite Global Positioning System, we will have an accurate and detailed positioning system. The reason we need this is for its precision that will be utilised by our new businesses and industries such as urban air-mobility, drones and self-driving services."