The Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Korea held a technical meeting on GPS-KPS cooperation on March 20, 2023 in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK). The meeting was organized following the commitments made under the “United States-Republic of Korea Leaders’ Joint Statement" issued by the then heads of the two Governments on May 21, 2022. The two sides agreed to establish a GPS-KPS Technical Working Group (TWG) going forward, which will meet as needed to discuss technical matters of mutual interest to both sides, including compatibility, interoperability, and service provision.
This initial TWG included discussions on matters related to technical cooperation on satellite navigation systems in the civil use of the United States (U.S.) Global Positioning System (GPS) and the ROK’s Korean Positioning System (KPS). Both sides reaffirmed their intent to provide open access to civil space-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services, free of direct user fees, for peaceful purposes.
Both sides discussed enhanced cooperation on activities related to the work taking place in the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), under the purview of the United Nations, to enhance compatibility, interoperability and transparency among all the satellite navigation systems.
The technical meeting reaffirmed the close cooperation between the U.S. and the ROK on satellite navigation, which contributes to the peaceful development of the Indo-Pacific region and promotes global economic growth. In that regard, both Governments welcomed the next meeting of the GPS-KPS TWG, to be held in the U.S. in September 2023.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs