SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and Ukraine signed an agreement on Monday to carry out closer cooperation in the aerospace sector.

    The agreement, signed by South Korean Science Minister Kim Woo-sik and Valeriy Komarov, Ukraine's first deputy director general of the National Space Agency, will allow South Korea and Ukraine to cooperate in various scientific fields, including basic space science, satellite systems development and launching technologies, South Korean officials said.

    The accord will also cover personnel exchanges and development of joint space programs, South Korean officials said.

    South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yushchenko attended the signing ceremony of the agreement.

    The South Korean government plans to develop the space technology as one of its next-generation economic growth engines. Under an aerospace accord with Russia earlier, South Korea plans to send its first astronaut aboard a Russian space craft in 2008.

    Yushchenko arrived here on Monday for a two-day visit. He met with Roh Monday afternoon and is to hold talks with South Korean parliament speaker on Tuesday.