Korea Space Agency said on Oct. 26 it selected 4 cases as part of its "2026 active administration best and challenge examples" and held an awards ceremony.

A total of 13 cases were submitted to the contest. Korea Space Agency conducted a first-round review through screening by its active administration committee and a staff vote, followed by a final review that included presentations and Q&A. It selected 1 top award, 2 excellence awards and 1 "beautiful challenge" example.

The top case enabled space operators to use guarantee and mutual-aid services from the Defense Industry Mutual Aid Association without establishing a separate mutual-aid association. Previously, there was no legal basis to support guarantees and mutual aid for the space industry, which has high-cost and high-risk characteristics. Korea Space Agency worked with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to revise the Act on the Development and Support of the Defense Industry in July and set a foundation for space operators to use guarantee and mutual-aid services.

Excellence award cases included opening the Naro Space Center, which had been operated mainly by the state, to the private sector. Korea Space Agency released guidelines for private companies to use the facilities, creating a foundation for domestic companies to prepare testing and launches inside the country.

Another excellence award case involved securing an alternative site during the process of building a ground center for the Korean Positioning System, known as KPS, and preventing conflict in the local community. When use of the originally planned site became difficult, Korea Space Agency analysed local conditions and stakeholders in advance and secured an alternative site through cooperation with relevant agencies and communication with residents.

The "beautiful challenge" example selected involved supporting domestic aircraft parts companies' entry into global supply chains, prompted by a visit to South Korea by global aircraft manufacturer Eve Air Mobility.

Korea Space Agency Administrator Tae-seok Oh (오태석) said, "We will clearly reward employees who achieve strong results with a challenging mindset and establish a public service culture that is not afraid of failure."