Developmental new space in South Korea: Militarized developmentalism and the privatization of outer space

“Developmental New Space” might, at first glance, seem to be an oxymoron since New Space is often conceptualized as being free from centralized government support or state programming. However, a historical and discursive analysis of contemporary South Korean policy reports, media reports, public education programs and interviews illustrate that developmentalism very much shapes South Korean New Space policy. “Developmental New Space” in South Korea emerges from its history of militarized developmentalism and continues to shape neocolonial inter-Asian relations as South Korea exports New Space technologies and products globally and expand South Korean influence. This paper contributes to the theorization of emergent forms of capitalism in outer space by placing it in histories and politics that shape market relations in South Korea. In doing so, it shows that no account of New Space can be decontextualized from the geopolitical and neoliberal hierarchies that have structured global capitalism since the Cold War. Interviews and participant observation with South Koreans illustrates that the public is divided over national investments in New Space. Some seek a future in outer space that is not contingent upon militarized developmentalism, while others support New Space for what they perceive to be continued economic growth and global competitiveness.