KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) · Goheung, South Jeolla, South Korea, South Korea
Launch Pads
1 (KSLV-II/Nuri launch pad; KSLV-III pad planned)as of [1]Annual Launches
2–3as of [1]Max Payload (LEO)
1,500 kg to 500 km SSO (Nuri KSLV-II)as of [1]Established
2009
Naro Space Center is South Korea's only orbital launch site, located on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. It achieved a major milestone when the domestically developed Nuri (KSLV-II) rocket successfully reached orbit in 2022, making South Korea the seventh nation to launch a satellite using its own rocket from its own soil.
| Region | Asia |
| Country | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| Coordinates | 34.4316° N, 127.5353° E |
| Ownership | Government |
| Parent Entity | KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) / MSIT (Ministry of Science and ICT) |
| Regulatory Regime | KASA (Korea AeroSpace Administration, established May 2024) / MSIT |
| Latitude Advantage | 34.43°N — moderate-latitude pad; southward azimuth over Pacific gives clean SSO access without overflight constraints |
| Azimuth Range | 170°–200° (LEO, SSO, polar) — restricted northward by DPRK overflight |
| Website | https://www.kari.re.kr/eng/ |
Anchor Tenants
Active Users
Strategic Value
Symbol and engine of South Korea's space-power ambitions — Nuri 2022 success made Korea the 7th nation to orbit with domestic launch. Operational handoff from KARI to Hanwha Aerospace (Nuri Phase-4 contract, 2024) is the privatization template Korea is using to grow its space industry.
Recent Activity
Nuri Flight 4 launched November 2025 (third operational mission); KASA newly established May 2024 consolidating Korean space policy; Hanwha takes over Nuri operational launches from 2025.
2026
Nuri Flight 5 and operational cadence under Hanwha contract
2027
KSLV-III (next-gen Korean rocket) maiden flight
2032
Korean lunar lander mission target launch from Naro