Korea, US to hold joint space forum

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands as they deliver remarks during a visit at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Maryland, U.S. April 25. Reuters-Yonhap

Korea and the United States will co-host a space forum in Seoul early next week with a focus on ways to boost cooperation in space-related policies, diplomacy, security and other areas, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.

The ROK-U.S. Space Forum, set for Monday through Tuesday, will bring together some 40 government officials and experts from both countries, including Chirag Parikh, executive secretary of the White House National Space Council; Gen. Lee Young-su, chief of staff for the Korean Air Force; and U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Philip Goldberg, among others.

ROK is the acronym for Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

Bill Nelson, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will join the forum and deliver a speech virtually.

Foreign Minister Park Jin will also be present at the forum.

Discussions are expected to center on exploring ways for cooperation for space sustainability, enhancing space cooperation at the national security level and promoting space exploration, the ministry said.

The forum has been organized on the occasion of marking the 70th anniversary of the bilateral alliance this year, based on the shared understanding that discussions on strategic coordination in the space and related areas are becoming increasingly necessary, official said. (Yonhap)