Korea Aerospace Industries
South Korean aerospace and defense manufacturer of aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs.
Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI) is a South Korean company that makes aircraft, spacecraft, and defense equipment. It began as a joint venture combining the aerospace divisions of Daewoo Heavy Industries, Samsung Aerospace, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft. In 1999, after the 1997 Asian financial crisis caused financial problems for those parent companies, the South Korean government pushed KAI to buy up their aerospace assets and become more independent.
KAI has built a range of aerospace products, including the Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II and several satellites. The company has also produced foreign-designed aircraft under license, such as the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, MBB Bo-105 KLH, and KF-16. Its own original designs include the KT-1 Woongbi and T-50 Golden Eagle trainers, the KC-100 Naraon general aviation plane, and the KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter. KAI’s headquarters and main factories are in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.
**Projects**
KAI helped build South Korea’s first indigenously developed aircraft, the KT-1 Woongbi trainer. This came from the KTX program, launched in 1988 for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) to create a homegrown trainer. The project was a joint effort between KAI and the government’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD), which oversaw the work, while KAI handled detailed design and most manufacturing. In 2002, KAI announced an upgraded, armed version called the KO-1, meant for forward air control and counter-insurgency missions. This was developed with the ADD in response to a ROKAF need for 20 to 40 aircraft.
In June 2006, KAI and Eurocopter won a ₩1.3 trillion (about US$1.99 billion) research and development contract from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) for the Korea Helicopter Project – Korea Utility Helicopter (KHP-KUH). The South Korean government funded 84% of the KUH-1 Surion’s development, with KAI and Eurocopter covering the rest. At the time, it was the largest South Korean defense contract ever given to a non-American company. In January 2011, Eurocopter and KAI formed a joint venture, KAI-EC, to market and export the Surion, expecting to sell 250 to 300 units worldwide by 2021. Deliveries of the first Surion began in December 2012. Low-temperature testing in Alaska finished in February 2013, and development was officially completed the following month.
Quick Facts
- Traded As
- 047810
- Founded
- 1 October 1999
- Hq Location
- 78, Gongdanro 1-ro, Sanam-myeon
- Hq Location City
- Sacheon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
- Hq Location Country
- South Korea
- Area Served
- Worldwide
- Key People
- Kim Jong-chool (CEO)
- Industry
- Aerospace · Defense
- Predecessors
- Daewoo Heavy Industries · Hyundai Space and Aircraft · Samsung Aerospace
- Products
- Fixed-wing aircraft / Helicopters / Satellites / Simulators / Space launch vehicles / Unmanned aerial vehicles
- Revenue
- ₩3.6964trillion
- Revenue Year
- 2025
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
KAI was formed from the aerospace divisions of Daewoo, Samsung, and Hyundai, and became independent in 1999 after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The company developed the first indigenously designed South Korean aircraft, the KT-1 Woongbi, under the KTX program launched in 1988 for the Republic of Korea Air Force. The KT-1 was a joint effort with the Agency for Defense Development, with KAI performing detailed design and manufacturing. In 2002, KAI revealed an upgraded armed version, the KO-1, for forward air control and counter-insurgency roles.
In June 2006, KAI and Eurocopter won a ₩1.3 trillion contract for the Korea Helicopter Project, developing the KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter. The project was 84% funded by the South Korean government and 16% by KAI and Eurocopter. In January 2011, a joint venture, KAI-EC, was established for marketing and export sales. Deliveries of the first Surion began in December 2012, and development was formally completed in March 2013 after low-temperature testing in Alaska. A navalised derivative, the Korean Naval Helicopter, entered development by 2011.
KAI launched development of the KC-100 Naraon general aviation aircraft in 2008 to enter the civilian market. Its flight test program completed on 22 March 2013, and a type certificate was received shortly after. A military trainer variant, the KT-100, first flew in 2015. KAI also studied a 60-seat KRJ regional jet in 2008 and later a 90-seat turboprop. In October 2012, a joint development deal with Bombardier Aerospace and a South Korean consortium was revealed for a 90-seater turboprop, targeting a 2019 launch date. In 2019, KAI was contracted to manufacture wings for the Gulfstream G280 business jet for IAI, with 300 sets until 2030 for $529 million.
Reader's Guide
KAI is significant as the primary South Korean aerospace manufacturer, responsible for the first indigenously developed South Korean aircraft (KT-1 Woongbi) and the largest South Korean defense contract at the time (KUH-1 Surion). The company has produced both licensed foreign designs (such as the KF-16) and original aircraft, including the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer and the KF-21 Boramae multirole fighter. KAI has also developed unmanned aerial vehicles like the RQ-101 Songgolmae and participated in space launch vehicles (KSLV-II) and satellite programs (KOMPSAT series). Its efforts to enter the civilian market include the KC-100 Naraon and studies for regional airliners. The company's manufacturing facilities are located in Sacheon, and it has a joint venture with Eurocopter for helicopter exports. KAI's legacy includes training systems, simulators, and co-development projects such as the Bell 427 and Bell 429 helicopters.
Did You Know?
- The KUH-1 Surion development contract in 2006 was the largest South Korean defense contract issued to a non-American company at the time.
- KAI is contracted to manufacture 300 sets of wings for the Gulfstream G280 business jet until 2030 for $529 million.
- The KT-1 Woongbi was the first indigenously developed South Korean aircraft, launched under the KTX program in 1988.
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