First South Korean Space Rocket To Launch In 2008

Seoul (AFP) Jan 02, 2007

South Korea plans to launch its first space rocket next year, becoming the world's ninth country to do so, officials said Tuesday. A space centre on the country's south coast is some 90 percent complete after construction began in late 2000 at a cost of 265 billion won (285 million dollars).

"This means that we'll have our own satellites and launch vehicles at the same time, laying the foundation for further space development," Hwang Pan-Sik, a deputy director of the Ministry of Science and Technology, told AFP. South Korea began developing the two-stage rocket through a technology tie-up with Russia in 2004. The first stage is based on Russia's Angara rocket while the second stage is of South Korean origin, Hwang said.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/First_South_Korean_Space_Rocket_To_Launch_In_2008_999.html