The era of “space hegemony”, the story of the four-dimensional universe

The universe of our time (宇宙) is like the ‘West of America’ in the era of the pioneers. It is an “unknown space” that humanity has not yet explored and, perhaps economically, it could be the “last El Dorado” (El Dorado, a golden country imagined by the Spaniards in the 16th century on the banks of the Amazon in South America).

One of the topics of the emergency meeting on economic livelihood held at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 27th, chaired by President Yoon Seok-yeol, was “space”. The universe is so close to us. It means that it is no longer an “imaginary space” drawn in a dream, or an “inaccessible space” preached by Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking in difficult technical terms.

Lee Cheol-hwan, former head of the Korea Financial Intelligence Agency, which produced excellent works in various fields after a long period of economic bureaucracy during this period, recently published “The Age of Space Hegemony, The Story of the 4th Dimensional Universe – The history of the stars from a different perspective. ”It is expected to serve as an introductory and educational book for public access to the universe.

While attending Sungkyunkwan University, former President Lee passed the administrative exam and held important positions in the former Ministry of Finance and Economy (currently the Ministry of Strategy and Finance), including the head of the Division of General Policy of the Bureau of Economic Policy, the Director of the National Treasury, and the Director of the Financial Information Analysis Institute. After 30 years of public service, he served as chairman of the Korea Exchange market monitoring committee and advisor to the Korea Financial Research Institute and the Korea International Trade Association. From 2012 to 2021 he was an adjunct professor at Dankook University for about 10 years.

This book is about the universe. The universe is basically a field that astronomy deals with. However, since this book was published after studying the universe by an economics student, it is very different from a book written by an astronomer. This is because the point of view of the humanities and social sciences, especially the point of view of economics, is incorporated. Therefore, it is designed to be easily understood by the general public who are not astronomers. In other words, the universe is fundamentally a field of astronomy, but the author observed the universe from four aspects (four dimensions): humanities, politics and economics.

The universe from the humanistic point of view contains stories related to myths and philosophies in the universe, stories of astrology and constellations, the debate between cosmology and creationism, literature and films about the stars and the universe. A comparison was also made between the stars of the sky and the stars of the earth.

The universe from an astronomical point of view contains stories about the creation and evolution of the universe, the composition and working principle of the galaxy, the basic unit of the universe and the solar system we live in, and the telescope space, a tool for observing these celestial bodies. It also introduces concerns about a meteorite fall and a collision with Earth with an asteroid.

. Written by Cheol-Hwan Lee, “The Age of Space Hegemony, The Story of the Universe in 4 Dimensions – The Story of the Universe from a Different Perspective” (Book Publishing Saebit, 150X220, 332 pages, price 18,000 won) Provided by Saebit , Publishing house of books

The universe from a political point of view contains the battles between the United States, China, Russia and other great world powers for space supremacy. It also shows how humans live in the space between competition and cooperation, such as the creation of space force, the construction and operation of a space station and a space shuttle. It also introduces the background and achievements of NASA, the cradle of space development, as well as the previous effort to build human settlements on the moon and Mars.

The universe from the economic point of view contains the economic purpose of space development. During the Cold War, the purpose of space development was primarily aimed at improving the nation’s status and military objectives. However, with the opening of the private sector-led “new space age” in the 21st century, the focus of space development gradually shifts towards an economic point of view. Space tourism, the space internet networking industry through artificial satellites and the space waste disposal industry are in the spotlight. The space industry, such as biotechnology, the new materials industry, and the energy and resource development industry, is also budding. In addition, projects for the development of space resources and the construction of space cities are promoted.

In the future, the universe will no longer be an object of romance, but will rapidly emerge as a fundamental material for the politics, economy, society, culture, tourism and art that people around the world feel. Humanity’s “space tourism” is approaching. In this era, Lee’s new book, endowed with a humanistic imagination, an economic perspective, and an international political perspective such as diplomacy, military and security, will serve as a strong guide for the general public to prepare for the coming future. ‘space age’. .

The reporter Haedong Jo