(Daejeon = Yonhap News) Reporter Byun Seon-jin = Kazakhstan, where the Baikonur Cosmodrome is located, opened an honorary consulate in Daejeon and appointed a space entrepreneur from Daejeon as an honorary consul.
On the 2nd, the unveiling ceremony of the 'Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan in Daejeon' plaque and the inauguration ceremony of CEO Seong-hee Lee as honorary consul were held at the headquarters of Contact, a company specializing in space ground stations in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.
The event was attended by diplomatic figures, including Kazakh Ambassador to Korea Aset Isenali, and Contact executives and employees.
In his welcoming speech, Ambassador Isenali said, “An honorary consulate should not be limited to simply putting up an office or a new sign, but should become a real bridge connecting the two countries, companies, and people.” He added, “We should attract more Korean companies to attract new investments and technological cooperation.”
He continued, “CEO Lee worked as a researcher for a long time, then founded Contact in 2015 and developed it into a globally known space company in about 10 years,” and added, “He is a successful businessman and scientist, and a friend of Kazakhstan.”
In his inauguration speech, Representative Lee emphasized, "I hope that today will be a new starting point and a foundation for cooperation between Korea and Kazakhstan to move toward a greater future in the space industry."
It is said that the opening of the honorary consulate was promoted when Ambassador Isenali first proposed the position of honorary consul to Representative Lee with the intention of strengthening cooperation in the space industry between the two countries.
An honorary consul is a position in which the government of the sending country appoints a civilian of the host country to perform some of the consular duties, such as supporting economic and cultural exchanges.
The opening of an honorary consulate and the appointment of an honorary consul are expected to accelerate cooperation in the space industry between Korea and Kazakhstan, home to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the world's first space launch site.
As his first activity, CEO Lee plans to invite international students from Kazakhstan studying at universities in the Daejeon area, such as Woosong University, Hanbat National University, and Chungnam National University, to hear their difficulties and provide internship opportunities at Contact and its affiliated AP satellites to students who wish to do so.
Furthermore, it was announced that it would serve as a bridge for cooperation across industries of both countries, including not only space, but also artificial intelligence (AI), bio, and mineral resources.
Cooperation between Contact and Kazakhstan began in 2021 when CEO Lee interacted with local space agencies and companies through the Central Asia exhibition.
In 2024, a contract was signed with local space company Ghalam LLP to develop and supply satellite optical payloads worth about 10 billion won.
Recently, the scope of cooperation has been expanded to include joint satellite production, construction of a ground station network, and AI processing of satellite images, and plans are also being pursued to establish a satellite parts production base in Kazakhstan.
