SK Telecom to launch telescope content service Starhug

South Korea's SK Telecom Co. announced on Friday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for providing the "Starhug" service, a remote observation and astronomy-specific content service, with Yeongyang County in North Gyeongsang Province.

Starhug, integrating SK Telecom's IT and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, allows users to remotely view and directly control the images from telescopes installed in the observatory. The service is currently under preparation for launch.

To launch the service, SK Telecom is building a dedicated remote observatory for Starhug in Yeongyang Firefly Ecological Park. This park is recognized as the best location in South Korea for observing stars and has been designated as the first International Dark-Sky Reserve in Asia by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

Under the terms of the MOU, SK Telecom will build and donate the remote observatory to Yeongyang County and provide the Starhug service based on this observatory.

Write to Seung-Woo Lee at leeswoo@hankyung.com