The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA, headed by Administrator Oh Tae-seok) will, from September 30, release free of charge some 67,000 high-resolution standard images captured by multipurpose practical satellites, in order to support the artificial intelligence (AI) technology development of domestic satellite-application companies. Firms that have struggled to secure large volumes of high-resolution imagery will now be able to obtain training, analysis and validation materials directly, a move expected to open the way for a private-sector-led satellite information industry ecosystem.
 [코리안투데이] 국가위성 표준영상 대규모 공개로 인공지능 AI 기반 위성정보 활용산업 키운다 © 장형임 기자 |
KASA will release about 67,000 standard images with low cloud cover (cloudiness below 25 percent), selected from optical imagery of overseas regions captured in 2025 by the multipurpose satellite KOMPSAT-3 (0.7m resolution) and KOMPSAT-3A (0.55m resolution). Standard images are satellite images that have completed standard processing, such as geometric and radiometric correction, and can be used immediately without additional processing.
 [코리안투데이] 국가위성 표준영상 대규모 공개로 인공지능 AI 기반 위성정보 활용산업 키운다 © 장형임 기자 |
The measure originated from demand in the field. In a survey conducted in February this year of satellite-application companies, seven firms requested the free release of national satellite standard images for the development of AI models. Developing an AI model using satellite imagery requires a large volume of images for training, analysis and validation, but companies had faced constraints in technology development because they could not secure enough high-resolution imagery. KASA established the release plan through company roundtables and consultations with related institutions, and reflected it as a core task of the 《Republic of Korea AeroSpace Industry Development Strategy》 announced last July, pushing ahead with this pilot release.
The released standard images may be used by domestic companies for the purpose of developing satellite-application technologies, such as AI models, and application services, and the AI models and services trained through them may also be commercialized. However, selling or redistributing the released images themselves is prohibited. The aim is to open a path for companies to commercialize technology through their own capabilities while blocking the distribution of the original images, which are national assets, thereby preserving their public value.
 [코리안투데이] 국가위성 표준영상 대규모 공개로 인공지능 AI 기반 위성정보 활용산업 키운다 © 장형임 기자 |
Companies in need of standard images may submit a ‘National Satellite Standard Image Request Form’ to KASA. Following KASA’s review, the National Satellite Operation Center will distribute the images to companies in sequence.
 [코리안투데이] 국가위성 표준영상 대규모 공개로 인공지능 AI 기반 위성정보 활용산업 키운다 © 장형임 기자 |
The scale of the release will expand in stages going forward. KASA plans to release more than 60,000 national satellite standard images each year, continuously opening up more than 300,000 images by 2030 and more than 600,000 by 2035.
 [코리안투데이] 국가위성 표준영상 대규모 공개로 인공지능 AI 기반 위성정보 활용산업 키운다 © 장형임 기자 |
KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seok said, ‘We will boldly open up to the private sector the national satellite standard images that the state has accumulated, and actively support our companies’ AI-based innovation.’ He added, ‘Starting with this pilot release, we will continue to expand the scale and methods of disclosure and grow a private-sector-led ecosystem for the satellite information application industry.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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