The Korean Society of Remote Sensing (KSRS) has reached the 40th year since its establishment. This special issue on 'history, status, and prospects of remote sensing in Korea' was published to review the achievement of the KSRS and remote sensing research in Korea at the milestone of 40 years. Eleven invited papers covered major segments of remote sensing in Korea. They reviewed the development of remote sensing science and technologies over the 40 years, summarized current activities, and suggested future plans for remote sensing in Korea. We hope to provide reach backgrounds and valuable insights on remote sensing science and technologies in Korea.

Science and technology are advancing at an unprecedented pace, particularly space technology, where private sector-led innovations, including Earth Observation (EO) satellites, are driving rapid growth in the New Space era. The Korean Society of Remote Sensing (KSRS) has been pivotal in developing domestic remote sensing technology over the past 40 years publishing numerous high-quality research papers in the Korean Journal of Remote Sensing (KJRS). The Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT) series, developed under the Master Plan for the Promotion of Space Development, acquires high-resolution optical, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and Middle-Wave Infrared (MWIR) images which are used for land and ocean surveillance, forest and agricultural management, water resources and environmental monitoring, and disaster response. In this study, we analyze the research topics related to the KOMPSAT series from the numerous papers published in the KJRS over the past 40 years.

Remote sensing through meteorological satellites plays an essential role in monitoring hazardous weather conditions, providing critical data for numerical weather prediction, and contributing to climate change studies. In Korea, research in this field began in the 1980s, with early efforts focused on utilizing foreign satellite data for weather forecasting. Significant advancements were made in the 2000s with the development of Korea's first geostationary meteorological satellite, the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS). This satellite marked a milestone in Korea's independent satellite data processing and value-added product generation capabilities. The development of subsequent satellites, such as the Geo-KOMPSAT 2A (GK2A), introduced significant improvements in spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution, enabling the production of a wider array of satellite products. Furthermore, advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data assimilation techniques have further broadened the application of satellite data, particularly in nowcasting, short-term forecasting, numerical weather prediction, and climate change monitoring. This paper reviews the historical evolution of Korea's meteorological satellite systems, the development of data processing technologies, and the application of satellite data in various fields of meteorology and atmospheric sciences.Additionally, it explores future prospects, including the development of hybrid satellite systems and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in satellite data utilization.

Since the launch of the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), the world's first geostationary ocean color satellite, in 2010, and its successor, GOCI-II, in 2020, these satellites have made substantial contributions to advancing ocean color monitoring through hourly observations, enabling real-time environmental surveillance. The GOCI series has advanced ocean color satellite missions from the research level to the operational level, supporting a range of applications in marine and atmospheric monitoring. In this study, we systematically collected and analyzed 578 research papers related to GOCI and GOCI-II published from 2005 to 2023, providing insights into academic achievements, scholarly collaborations, and evolving research trends. The number of published papers has steadily increased each year. These studies were classified into four major categories: data processing (26%), ocean (52%), atmosphere (13%), and land (9%).International papers predominantly focused on ocean studies(60%),while domestic papers emphasized data processing (42%), with ocean studies accounting for approximately 35%. Annual trends revealed that data processing studies dominated until 2011, when research on ocean, and atmosphere/land applications increased. Moreover, diurnal information was utilized in 27% of the studies, demonstrating its potential for monitoring short-term changes. The application of artificial intelligence in GOCI-related research grew from 20% in 2016 to over 50% by 2022, indicating a growing trend in the use of artificial intelligence for processing large datasets.

The Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) onboard the Geostationary Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite-2B (GEO-KOMPSAT-2B) satellite, launched in February 2020, represents a pioneering milestone in air quality monitoring across East and Southeast Asia. GEMS provides hourly data on atmospheric pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), ozone (O₃), volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde (HCHO) and glyoxal (CHOCHO), as well as aerosols, all with high spatial resolution. The Environmental Satellite Center (ESC) of the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) is responsible for processing, retrieving, and distributing GEMS data, offering critical insights into the transport and spatial distribution of these pollutants. GEMS data has been instrumental in analyzing significant air pollution events, such as episodes of elevated particulate matter, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions. Additionally, ongoing research projects led by ESC are focused on developing novel application techniques, including satellite data fusion, top-down emissions estimation, and nighttime pollutant detection. GEMS operates as part of a global geostationary constellation, alongside the United States' Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) and Europe's Sentinel-4, enhancing both the spatial and temporal coverage of air pollutants and facilitating data sharing for quality assurance. Looking ahead, ESC aims to expand its environmental monitoring capabilities by launching a constellation of microsatellites dedicated to greenhouse gas monitoring, together with the next generation of GEMS, which will continue its air quality monitoring missions. This paper presents an overview of GEMS operations, data products, and applications while outlining future strategies for enhancing air quality monitoring and supporting environmental policies aimed at clean air and climate mitigation.

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the development of Korea’s national spatial data policy and the evolution of remote sensing technology, analyzing how their interrelationship has influenced land management and public policy formulation. Beginning with aerial photography-based national mapping in the 1960s, remote sensing technology has rapidly advanced to satellite-based data acquisition since the 1990s. This progression has been a key factor in promoting the development of spatial data infrastructure at each stage of the national spatial data policy. The study reviews the introduction and application of remote sensing technology through the first to the seventh master plans of the national spatial data policy. In particular, the integration of advanced technologies such as digital twins has significantly expanded the scope of remote sensing data utilization. The successful launch of the National Land Satellite (CAS500-1) has substantially contributed to real-time monitoring of national land, environmental change detection, and natural disaster response. As Korea moves towards the construction of a national digital twin, it is expected to play an even more critical role by providing up-to-date, high-resolution spatial data, thereby enhancing both the timeliness and accuracy of policy decision-making processes. Furthermore, the paper explores future prospects of remote sensing and spatial data, proposing policy recommendations in light of anticipated technological advancements in satellite imagery technology and digital twin applications.

Remote sensing technology has emerged as a vital tool in the agricultural sector, offering capabilities for real-time crop monitoring, yield prediction, and resource management optimization. This paper reviews the historical development, current state, and future prospects of remote sensing in agriculture, with a focus on technological advancements and their impact on agricultural productivity and sustainability. The evolution of remote sensing technology, from its initial stages of soil and geographic data collection to its integration with high-resolution satellite imagery and drone technology, has significantly enhanced precision farming. These innovations enable farmers to make data-driven decisions, improve crop management, reduce resource use, and respond effectively to challenges such as climate change and food security. In particular, the establishment of the National Agricultural Satellite Center in 2024 marks a critical milestone in Korea’s efforts to advance satellite-based agricultural monitoring. The center will play a pivotal role in collecting and analyzing satellite data to monitor large-scale agricultural regions, assess environmental changes, and provide critical information for policy-making and on-field decision-making. Additionally, the combination of satellite, drone, and AI technologies is expected to further enhance the accuracy and efficiency of agricultural monitoring and management. As agriculture faces increasing global challenges such as climate change, land degradation, and food security, remote sensing technologies offer significant potential to support sustainable farming practices. This paper highlights the importance of continued research and development, as well as international collaboration, to further refine remote sensing tools and maximize their impact on the future of agriculture. The National Agricultural Satellite Center will continue to lead efforts in data-driven agricultural innovation, contributing to both national and global agricultural resilience.

Korea's forest remote sensing began in the 1970s with the nationwide forest resource survey using aerial photographs, during which forest-type map and national forest resource data were produced for the first time. This data served as a crucial foundation for forest restoration and management at that time. In the 1990s, Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) were used to survey forest resources across North Korea, revealing for the first time the extent of forest degradation. Since then, satellite imagery has been regularly used to monitor North Korean forests, a practice that continues to this day. Since the 2000s, high-resolution satellite imagery from the Korean Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT) series and Satellite pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT), along with Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) technology, has enabled precise analysis of forest resources. Furthermore, digital twin technology has been applied to simulate forest resource information in 3D, enabling more accurate management. Recently, deep learning and other artificial intelligence technologies have been combined with research on forest resources, forest disasters, and forest ecosystem monitoring. A significant research focus has been on creating a carbon map that spatiotemporally assesses the absorption and emission of carbon dioxide in forests. Monitoring North Korean forests also remains a critical source of data for establishing inter-Korean forest cooperation policies. The necessity of Forest Analysis Ready Data (F-ARD) has also increased. F-ARD simplifies complex preprocessing, enhancing the utility of forest remote sensing data. The F-ARD produced by the Compact Advanced Satellite 500-4 (CAS500-4, Agricultural and Forestry Satellite) will serve as a new tool for forest analysis by providing geometrically and atmospherically corrected high-resolution satellite imagery with gap-filling capabilities. The CAS500-4 set to be launched soon, will capture daily images of the Korean Peninsula, playing a crucial role in urgent responses to forest fires and forest disaster management. This satellite is expected to significantly contribute to the management of Korean forests and responses to climate change.

As disasters become more diverse and widespread, disaster management at the national level is increasingly important. Since satellite remote sensing technology is capable of observing a wide range of areas on a regular basis, it can be effectively utilized to monitor a massive scale of disaster conditions and preemptively respond to urgent disasters. Disasters that can be managed through satellite remote sensing technology include forest fires, drought, floods, landslides, and earthquakes. This study introduces a variety of studies using satellite remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) as well as a number of actual cases utilizing the above. However, with the satellites currently in operation, there are difficulties in detecting and analyzing the disasters above due to the limitations on spatial and temporal resolutions. Recently, new measures have been developed to overcome such limitations through the development and constellation operation of microsatellites. In addition, new technologies are under development where a massive quantity of satellite images is analyzed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.It is expected that temporal and spatial limitations can be addressed through satellite-developed and constellation systems in the future, which would lead to scientific disaster management through grafting with AI technology.

This review analyzes the application of remote sensing technologies in managing water-related disasters,specifically floods and droughts, in South Korea. As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of these disasters, effective monitoring and response systems are crucial. Remote sensing, through satellites such as optical sensors and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), has become essential for disaster management, providing large-scale, real-time data. In flood management, optical satellites provide high-resolution images for assessing damage and land changes, while SAR enables all-weather monitoring, improving the accuracy and timeliness of flood response. In drought management, tools like the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor, satellite rainfall data, and soil moisture monitoring contribute to early detection and long-term assessment. MODIS provides vegetation indices, such as normalized difference vegetation index and enhanced vegetation index, to track plant stress, while satellite rainfall data and soil moisture measurements offer insights into water availability. These technologies, when integrated, allow for more comprehensive monitoring of water-related disasters, reducing the risk to infrastructure, agriculture, and ecosystems. Future developments should focus on improving the resolution,speed, and accuracy of remote sensing technologies, along with enhanced data integration and collaboration between sectors to strengthen early warning systems. This review highlights the potential of remote sensing in mitigating the impacts of floods and droughts in South Korea and introduces the development and utilization of the water resources satellite equipped with a C-band SAR sensor.

This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of advancements in geological remote sensing in Korea, based on the research published in the Korean Journal of Remote Sensing (KJRS). The review encompasses critical geological domains, including lineament analysis, rock and mineral remote sensing, landslide detection, volcanic activity monitoring, earthquake assessment, and gravity studies. The content is organized chronologically, allowing for a detailed examination of the evolution of remote sensing techniques and their applications by KJRS authors. This review emphasizes significant contributions that have improved the accuracy, reliability, and predictive capabilities of geological studies through the application of remote sensing. Additionally, the paper highlights the integration of diverse remote sensing tools-ranging from satellite imagery and spectral analysis to advanced machine learning models-which collectively have facilitated a more profound understanding of geological phenomena. The insights derived from these studies are essential for the effective management of natural resources, disaster preparedness, and environmental conservation efforts.

This review analyzes the progress of polar science, emphasizing the scientific and technological achievements reflected in research papers published in the Korean Journal of Remote Sensing over the last 40 years. Polar research, particularly in the context of climate change, is a relatively young but rapidly expanding field. This review includes approximately 40 studies highlighting the application of advanced remote sensing technologies such as Synthetic Aperture Radar, multispectral, and hyperspectral imaging, LiDAR, alongside machine learning and deep learning techniques. These technologies have played a critical role in observing and analyzing the changes in sea ice and glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic and in studying the evolving polar environment. The review covers a broad spectrum of polar research topics, including sea ice detection and classification, glacier movement tracking, atmospheric temperature estimation, and monitoring changes in ocean color and chlorophyll concentrations. Additionally, it emphasizes recent advancements in artificial intelligence methods, which have enhanced the ability to predict complex environmental changes in polar regions with greater accuracy. This review highlights the importance and potential of remote sensing technologies in driving future advancements in the field by presenting the most recent research findings related to climate change, a central issue in polar science. The 40th anniversary of the Korean Society of Remote Sensing marks a significant milestone in the history of remote sensing in Korea and the development of polar science. Over the past four decades, the society has served as a key national platform for promoting polar research through remote sensing technologies and has introduced numerous pioneering studies. In this context, this review reflects on past achievements and explores future challenges in polar science. It also provides insights into the emerging challenges the field will likely encounter. It discusses how remote sensing technologies can contribute to developing strategies to address ongoing and future changes in polar environments.