South Korea's Aerospace Industry Sees Significant Gains in Localizing Boeing and Airbus Components

South Korea's aerospace industry has made significant strides in localizing critical components for Boeing and Airbus aircraft, thanks to government R&D support. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) held a performance-sharing conference on September 16 in Jeju to announce interim results from its 'Aerospace Parts Process Advancement Technology Development' program.

The initiative, with a total budget of 18.5 billion won (approximately $13.6 million), running from 2024 to 2028, has already produced significant outcomes. Yulgok, a South Korean aerospace manufacturer, secured domestic alternative production technology for Boeing 737 wing structures and signed new orders, projecting 95.7 billion won (approximately $70.2 million) in revenue through 2032.

The program supports initial product development and manufacturing process technology development for aircraft-applicable components. Participating companies are projected to generate combined revenue of 102.7 billion won (approximately $75.3 million) by 2032, with Yulgok accounting for more than 90% of the total.

KASA is now planning a follow-up R&D initiative called 'Aircraft System-Linked Materials and Components Technology Development' to expand these achievements into technology self-reliance at the materials and components level. The core direction is to build on the program's achievements in process and production technology gains and order track record achieved.