• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.241-269
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• 2011

Solar flare and storm may give an adverse effect upon electromagnetic environment around the Earth, so that various kinds of satellite cease to normally function. This kind of space storm disaster is characterized by the uncertainty about when and what size. Recently the UN has been paying attention to this plausible disaster. Particularly the COPUOS has taken the view that this disaster would threaten the sustainable space environment. The precautionary principle, rooted and excercised in the environment protection filed, has been adopted in the case of disaster with uncertainty. The reports and opinions given by the expert and representatives of the member States have stated that the precautionary principle should be adopted for the purpose of dealing with this disaster. On the other hand, it is advanced that the principle has been already included in the space law principle enshrined in the 1967 Space Treaty. The Treaty has adopted the freedom of navigation and use of the outer space for the interest of all States as the basic principles. Sustainable environment is necessary for implementing the principle. Therefore, the rules for the protection of sustainable space environment should be based upon the space law principle.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.127-160
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• 2014

The UN COPUOS was established in 1959 as a permanent committee of the UN General Assembly with the aims to promote international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, to formulate space-related programmes within the UN, to encourage research and dissemination of information on space, and to study legal problems arising from the outer space activities. Its members have been enlarged from 24 members in 1959 to 76 in 2014. The Legal Subcommittee, which has been established under COPUOS in 1962 to deal with legal problems associated with space activities, through its first three decades of work has set up a framework of international space law: the five treaties and agreements - namely the Outer Space Treaty, Rescue Agreement, Liability Convention, Registration Convention, Moon Agreement - and the five declarations and legal principles. However, some sceptical views on this legal framework has been expressed, concerning the applicability of existing international space law to practical issues and new kinds of emerging space activities. UNISPACE III, which took place in 1999, served as a momentum to revitalize the discussions of the legal issues faced by the international community in outer space activities. The agenda of the Legal Subcommittee is currently structured into three categories: regular items, single issue/items, and items considered under a multi-year workplan. The regular items, which deal with basic legal issues, include definition and delimitation of outer space, status and application of the five UN treaties on outer space, and national legislation relevant to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. The single issues/items, which are decided upon the preceding year, are discussed only for one year in the plenary unless renewed. They include items related to the use of nuclear power sources in outer space and to the space debris mitigation. The agenda items considered under a multi-year work plan are discussed in working group. Items under this category deal with non-legally binding UN instruments on outer space and international mechanism for cooperation. In recent years, the Subcommittee has made some progress on agenda items related to nuclear power sources, space debris, and international cooperation by means of establishing non-legally binding instruments, or soft law. The Republic of Korea became the member state of COPUOS in 2001, after rotating seats every two years with Cuba and Peru since 1994. Korea's joining of COPUOS seems to be late, in considering that some countries with hardly any space activity, such Chad, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Lebanon, Cameroon, joined COPUOS as early as 1960s and 1970s and contributed to the drafting of the aforementioned treaties, declarations, and legal principles. Given the difficulties to conclude a treaty and un urgency to regulate newly emerging space activities, Legal Subcommittee now focuses its effort on developing soft law such as resolutions and guideline to be adopted by UN General Assembly. In order to have its own practices reflected in the international practices, one of the constituent elements of international customary law, Korea should analyse its technical capability, policy, and law related to outer space activities and participate actively in the formation process of the soft law.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.111-129
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• 2008

Denying the legitimacy of occupying any parts of the outer space satisfied the political interests of space fairing States. 'Res communis' idea was converted into the rationale which met such political needs in the best way available. This rationale, as its roman law concept implies, is based upon ownership to things. Ownership paradigm, as discussed in this paper, may be not sufficient for applying the OST. A new paradigm may be more valuable. Diversified type of the right to use would be best available one. Space commercialization should be understood in social and economical dimension, which is too diverse and important for space lawyers, especially adhering to ownership paradigm, to deal with. It is mature to admit that res communis rationale operated for 40 years is not sufficiently refined to foster the advent and benefit expected from space commercialization. Diversified type of right to use is to be taken into account seriously, as workable paradigm provided by other social science.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.273-302
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• 2015

The term "peaceful uses of outer space" in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty appears in official government statements and multilateral outer space related treaties. However, the examination of the state practice leads to the conclusion that this term is still without an authoritative definition. As far as the meaning of 'peaceful use' in international law is concerned the same phrases in the UN Charter, the 1963 Treaty of Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere in Outer Space and Under Water, the 1956 Statute of IAEA, the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the 1972 United Nations Conference of the Human Environment were analysed As far as the meaning of 'peaceful uses of outer space' is concerned the same phrases the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the 1979 Moon Treaty and the 1977 Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques(ENMOD) were studied. According to Article IV of the 1967 Outer Space treaty, states shall not place in orbit around the earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kind of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner. The 1979 Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies repeats in Article III much of the Outer Space Treaty. This article prohibits the threat or use of force or any other hostile act on the moon and the use of the moon to commit such an act in relation to the earth or to space objects. This adds IN principle nothing to the provisions of the Outer Space Treaty relating to military space activities. The 1977 ENMOD refers to peaceful purposes in the preamble and in Article III. As far as the UN Resolutions are concerned, the 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exp1oration and Use of Outer Space, the 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space(NPS) were studied. And as far the Soft Laws are concerned the 2008 Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapon in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects(PPWT), the 2002 Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Prolifiration(HCoC) and 2012 Draft International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities(ICoC) were studied.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.9-27
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• 2007

The purpose of this paper is to study about the legal system of the Inter-governmental Agreement on the International Space Station('IGA') which was signed on Jan 29,1998. This paper is divided into three main parts ; 1) a review of ISS, 2) the principal rules of IGA, 3) the legal system of IGA. First, the paper draws an outline of ISS by dealing with (1) the definition, characteristics, and functions of ISS, (2) the composition of ISS. Second, the paper explains the principal rules of IGA which include (1) the rule of 'Partnership' and (2) the rule of 'Peaceful Purpose'. Third, the legal system of IGA is studied by looking at five different aspects: (1) the registration system, (2) a general jurisdiction, criminal jurisdiction and a control of jurisdiction, (3) intellectual property rights and other rights beside intellectual property, (4) cross-waiver of liability and several elements in compensation of damages, (5) the dispute resolution. IGA contains new contents and applications of legal system which was not included in the former space law. Therefore IGA will work as a model law for international cooperation of space development. It is important for us to study the matter of ISS, because disputes on the ISS are left solely to contracting parties although IGA will regulate overall situations. The renewed IGA is even more important because all the space development is expected to take place on an international cooperation basis. On the basis of this paper, all the important parts of IGA is expected to be further studied so that the research can contribute to the establishment of the legal system of space development in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• no.spc
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• pp.17-34
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• 2007

The purpose of this paper is to study about the legal system of the Inter-governmental Agreement on the International Space Station('IGA') which was signed on Jan 29,1998. This paper is divided into three main parts ; 1) a review of ISS, 2) the principal rules of IGA, 3) the legal system of IGA. First, the paper draws an outline of ISS by dealing with (1) the definition, characteristics, and functions of ISS, (2) the composition of ISS. Second, the paper explains the principal rules of IGA which include (1) the rule of 'Partnership' and (2) the rule of 'Peaceful Purpose'. Third, the legal system of IGA is studied by looking at five different aspects: (1) the registration system, (2) a general jurisdiction, criminal jurisdiction and a control of jurisdiction, (3) intellectual property rights and other rights beside intellectual property, (4) cross-waiver of liability and several elements in compensation of damages, (5) the dispute resolution. IGA contains new contents and applications of legal system which was not included in the former space law. Therefore IGA will work as a model law for international cooperation of space development. It is important for us to study the matter of ISS, because disputes on the ISS are left solely to contracting parties although IGA will regulate overall situations. The renewed IGA is even more important because all the space development is expected to take place on an international cooperation basis. On the basis of this paper, all the important parts of IGA is expected to be further studied so that the research can contribute to the establishment of the legal system of space development in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.127-152
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• 2020

Despite growing international cooperation for maintenance of international peace and security, wars continue to occur due to conflicted state interests. Continuing conflicts has advanced development of various weapon systems such as global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. However, with a big increase in the number of civilian casualties caused by the weapon systems development, the international community has also advanced diplomatic efforts to minimize deaths of civilian and military personnel. Therefore, it is essential to observe the principle of discrimination between combatants and non-combatants when operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones. Drones have become more capable of distinguishing combatants from non-combatants due to its high-tech prowess. In the operation of drones, any parties involved in combat or the war are responsible for mounting civilian casualties. In addition, it should comply with the principle of proportionality that calls for a balance between results of such action and expected military advantage anticipated from the attack. The rule of proportionality prohibits use of military force which may be expected to cause excessive civilian harm. Drones have been able to track and monitor targets for hours and select the accurate locations of the targets. The aim is to reduce civilian losses and damage to a minimum. Drones meet the standards of Article 51.4 of the Additional Protocol.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.3-39
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• 2011

People may operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) thousands of miles from the drone's location. Drones were first used (like balloons) for surveillance. By 2001, the United States began arming drones with missiles and using them to strike targets during combat in Afghanistan. By mid-2010, over forty states and other entities possessed drones, many with the capability of launching missiles and dropping bombs. Each new development in military weapons technology invites assessment of the relevant international law. This Insight surveys the international law applicable to the recent innovation of weaponizing drones. In determining what international law rules govern drone use, the most salient feature is not the fact that drones are unmanned. The fact drones carry no human operator may be the most important new technological breakthrough, but the key feature for international law purposes is the type of weaponry drones carry. Whether law enforcement rules govern drone use depends on the situation and not necessarily who is operating the drone. Battlefield weapons may also be lawfully used before an armed conflict in the following situations: when initiating self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter; when authorized by the UN Security Council; when a government seeks to suppress internal armed conflict; and, perhaps, when a state is invited to assist a government in suppressing internal armed conflict. The rules governing resort to force in self-defense are found in Article 51 of the UN Charter and a number of decisions by international courts and tribunals. Commentators continue to debate whether drone technology represents the next revolution in military affairs. Regardless of the answer to that question, drones have not created a revolution in legal affairs. The current rules governing battlefield launch vehicles are adequate for regulating resort to drones. More research must be undertaken, however, to understand the psychological effects of deploying unmanned vehicles and the effects on drone operators of sustained, close visual contact with the aftermath of drone attacks.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.261-284
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• 2018

The current international legal system does not provide a safeguard against the militarization and the weaponization of outer space. Although the term "peaceful use of outer space" in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty(OST) appears in official government statements or in multilateral space treaties, it is still without an authoritative definition in reviewing national practices. The ambiguous ban on weapons in Article IV of the OST allows countries to loophole on the deployment of other weapons other than nuclear weapons. Meanwhile "Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapon in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects(PPWT)" to Conference on Disarmament (CD) commissioned by the UN General Assembly's Special Session jointly submitted by China and Russia in 2008 and later revised in 2014, attempting to define and prohibit the proliferation of weapons in outer space and provided definitions of prohibited weapons, are opposed by the US on the grounds that currently there is no arms race in outer space. Some experts support a hard law approach in which binding laws aimed at ultimately creating integrated and binding legal instruments in all aspects of the use of outer space should be adopted to regulate the military use of space. However as a temporary measure the soft law guidelines should be developed for the non liquiet, a situation where there is no applicable law. The soft law could be used to create support for the declaration of the treaties and to create international customary law. For example, the 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space that regulates the activities of the state in the exploration and use of the universe, and the 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space will illustrated. While substantial portions of the former was codified later in the 1967 OST, the latter which, although written in somewhat mandatory terms, have been consistently complied with by states, have arguably become part of customary international law. On November 12, 1974, the General Assembly reaffirmed that the development of international law may be reflected inter alia, by declarations and resolutions of the General Assembly which may to that extent be taken into consideration by the International Court of Justice.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-54
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• 2007

Nuclear Power Sources(NPS) have been used since 1961 for the purpose of generating energy for space objects and have since then been recognized as particularly suited essential to some space operations. In January 1978 a malfuctioning Soviet nuclear powered satellite, Cosmos 954, re-entered the earth's atmosphere and disintegrated, scattering radioactive debris over a wide area of the Canadian Northwest Territory. This incident provided some reasons to international legal scholars to make some principles to regulate using NPS in outer space. In 1992 General Assembly adopted "Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space". These NPS Principles set out certain legal and regulatory requirements on the use of nuclear and radioactive power sources for non-propulsive purposes. Although these principles, called 'soft laws', are not legal norms, they have much enfluences on state practices such as 1983 DBS Principles(Principles Governing the Use by States of Artificial Earth Satellites for International Direct Television Broadcasting), 1986 RS Principles(Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Space) and 1996 Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interests of all States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing Countries. As far as 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space is concerned the main points such as free use of outer space, non-appropriation of celestial bodies, application of international law to outer space etc. have become customary international law binding all states. NPS Principles might have similar characters according to states' willingness to respect them.