The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning says it has teamed up with 12 state-funded research institutes for the exploration of the moon.
 
The institutes will hold their first meeting on Thursday and discuss how to boost cooperation to achieve their ambitious goal.
 
The Korea Research Council of Fundamental Science and Technology, the Korea Research Council for Industrial Science and Technology and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute are among the 12 institutes.
 
The ministry expects the moon exploration project to be an opportunity for the nation to combine the technologies of various industries to make great strides in the space science sector.
 
The ministry is currently conducting a preliminary feasibility survey and plans to devise detailed plans for the project by the end of this year.