The South Korean government is pursuing international frequency coordination negotiations to build the Korean Positioning System (KPS). Frequency adjustments with satellites already in operation by other countries must be completed before development of KPS Satellite No. 1, scheduled for launch in 2029, can begin. The government is also working to establish laws, standards, terminals, and an application industry foundation so that actual services can launch by 2035, when all eight satellites will have been deployed.
According to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) on Wednesday, the countries currently involved in frequency coordination talks include the United States, China, and Russia. The government plans to request bilateral meetings with individual countries to minimize frequency interference and disruption, with technical support plans to be pursued through 2026.
KPS uses both a signal structure similar to GPS and an independent signal structure. As a latecomer, however, KPS must reach agreements on frequency usage conditions to avoid conflicts with existing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). If satellite signal frequencies overlap or are adjacent, interference can occur, affecting signal quality and service stability. As of this month, there are 38 coordination cases involving overseas GNSS that could affect or be affected by KPS, of which approximately 10 have been resolved, sources said. The government is currently conducting country-by-country coordination through both international meetings and separate working-level consultations.
This year, the government will also hold public hearings with companies to advance regulatory reform and ecosystem development. Since last year, KASA has been sharing project progress and service direction with receiver, chipset, terminal, and application service companies to encourage private-sector preparation. "We will hold public hearings with about 30 companies to discuss the technologies and legislation needed for KPS development," said Lee Byung-sun, director of the KPS Development Division at KASA. "The first satellite is scheduled for launch in 2029, but terminal, chip, and app development must proceed in parallel if we are to bring actual commercialization forward."
The government is reviewing plans to mandate KPS integration in terminals and to overhaul related legislation to expand KPS adoption. The aim is to build an institutional foundation so that car navigation systems, smartphones, and various location-based terminals can use KPS signals.
Standardization of navigation applications and the creation of an industrial ecosystem are also gaining momentum. KASA is pushing to form a navigation-related working group within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Once development standards for navigation-based apps and services are established, domestic companies can enter the market on that basis, and in the long term, Korea could lead in setting related norms. Currently, only the United States, Russia, China, the European Union, Japan, and India operate independent navigation systems. When KPS is completed, Korea is expected to become the seventh country with its own navigation system.
Search-and-rescue capabilities will be a priority feature in Satellite No. 2, to be developed after the first. The function is designed to receive and relay distress signals to support rescue operations in maritime or aviation emergencies. It is an area of strong demand from rescue agencies such as the Korea Coast Guard. Distress terminals will be manufactured domestically, while the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) is responsible for signal relay technology for satellite-mounted equipment. Several other government-funded research institutes are participating in KPS-related technology development, including the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, and the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering.
"KPS is not a project that ends with launching satellites. It requires building actual usable services and an industrial foundation alongside the satellites," Lee said. "We will push ahead without delay on frequency coordination, regulatory reform, standardization, and terminal ecosystem development to prepare for commercialization in 2035."