Gyeonggi-do audits 'Climate Satellite' following 'Ahn Jung-geun Yumuk', a key project of the 8th popular election

KRW 4.5 billion provided to a private company to launch a satellite... Investigation of research service and company selection process, etc.

(Suwon = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Chan-heung = Following the 'purchase of Dr. Ahn Jung-geun's oil ink', which was a key project of the 8th popular election, Gyeonggi Province also began an audit of the 'climate satellite launch', which was funded with 4.5 billion won.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Audit Committee announced on the 12th, "We began the audit on the 3rd based on media reports and issues raised by the Provincial Council regarding suspicions surrounding the launch of a climate satellite. We are looking into the Gyeonggi Research Institute's research service, the process of selecting the company, and the legitimacy of Gyeonggi Province's investment in general."

Gyeonggi Province launched the first Gyeonggi Climate Satellite (weighing 25 kg, the size of a microwave oven) on November 29 last year from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, and the second on the 2nd of last month.

In April last year, the province selected Nara Space Technology as a private business operator for climate satellites, providing 4.5 billion won for launch and operation costs, and is receiving satellite data such as changes in the Gyeonggi region's ecosystem and methane gas concentration and using it for climate policy.

Nara Space Technology will invest a total of 18.9 billion won, including support from Gyeonggi Province, to operate the Gyeonggi Climate Satellite for three years.

However, even with support for Dobi, controversy arose over the business structure of private companies owning satellites and the utility of satellites.

At the end of June, controversy arose when it became known that a Mexican company signed a separate contract with Nara Space Technology to use Gyeonggi Climate Satellite Unit 1 and falsely promoted it as the Mexican local government's own satellite.

In relation to this, the Provincial Council's Urban Environment Committee called the representative of Nara Space Technology as a witness for the administrative audit, and he said that there was no illegality in the contract process with Gyeonggi Province, but apologized for not sharing information in advance with Gyeonggi Province about a separate contract with a Mexican local government.

An official from the Gyeonggi Provincial Audit Committee said, "There are several suspicions raised, such as the fact that there are cases where other local governments in the country have ownership of satellites, the fact that Nara Space Technology was listed on the KOSDAQ immediately after the launch of Gyeonggi Climate Satellite Unit 1, and the fact that Gyeonggi Province was excluded from a separate contract with a Mexican company, so we plan to check this as well. However, since Nara Space Technology is a private company, there may be limitations in the audit."

Previously, Gyeonggi Province is conducting an audit as Governor Choo Mi-ae ordered on September 15th to conduct a strict investigation into the appropriateness of the entire process of purchasing and budget execution of Dr. Ahn Jung-geun's legacy.

Following the criticism raised by the Provincial Council that the budget of 1.3 billion won set aside for the purchase of Dr. Ahn's ink 'Independence' could not be used for a long period of time, some also raised questions as to whether the purchase method and price of the other ink 'Jangtan Iseong Seonjo Nippon' were appropriate.

'Jangtan Ilseong Ancestor Japan' was purchased from a Japanese owner in August last year by Gyeonggi Province providing a private capital subsidy (KRW 2.4 billion) to the Gyeonggi Province branch of the Liberation Association, and is currently stored in the storage of the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum.