Korea Testing Certification (KTC) announced Wednesday that it has been selected as the lead organization for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's project to establish testing and evaluation infrastructure for advanced materials and components in defense and space launch vehicles.
Under the project, KTC will invest a total of 188 billion won ($138 million) to build a testing and evaluation center in a 1,441-square-meter space at its headquarters in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, by 2030. The facility will be equipped with defense and space reliability testing equipment, ultra-high temperature material evaluation equipment, ISO Class 7 cleanroom electromagnetic compatibility evaluation facilities for space environment simulation, and thermal vacuum chambers through technology transfer from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
The center will be established with full-cycle integrated support capabilities, including testing and evaluation equipment and specialized personnel covering material properties, extreme environment conditions for components, and orbital environment for finished satellite products.
The global defense market continues to expand annually amid entrenched global security crises. Worldwide defense spending is expected to reach approximately $2.6 trillion in 2025, with growth of 6-8 percent projected for this year. K-defense sales, led by Hanwha Aerospace (012450.KS), Korea Aerospace Industries (047810.KS), Hyundai Rotem (064350.KS), and LIG Nex1 (079550.KS), achieved approximately $20 billion last year, up 15 percent year-on-year. Based on this momentum, Korea aims to become one of the world's top four defense powers.
Demand is surging for core materials and components used in hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) guided weapons and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites in global defense and space technology. The global carbon composite market, a key material for guided weapons and space launch vehicles, is projected to grow explosively from approximately $22.6 billion in 2024 to approximately $41.6 billion by 2033.
With this selection, KTC plans to establish the nation's first public defense and space testing and evaluation center in the Seoul metropolitan area, providing one-stop support for defense and space-related material and component development projects and actively working to enhance companies' global competitiveness.
"Through this project selection, KTC has positioned itself as a core performance verification hub for Korea's defense and space industry," KTC President Ahn Sung-il said. "We will create a world-class testing and evaluation ecosystem and serve as a strong bridgehead leading the K-defense export renaissance in the private-led New Space era."