Korea Aerospace Industries
047810.KSKorea Aerospace Industries (KAI), founded in 1999 and headquartered in Sacheon, South Korea, is South Korea's national aerospace champion and the country's largest aerospace company — established through the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space & Aircraft divisions — manufacturing military aircraft, trainers, helicopters, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles while serving as the primary contractor for South Korea's KF-21 Boramae next-generation jet fighter program.
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- Sacheon, South Korea
- Stage
- Public
- Ownership
- Listed
- Market cap
- $9.59B-9.6% 30d
- Employees
- 5,222as of 2024
Quick Facts
About Korea Aerospace Industries
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), founded in 1999 and headquartered in Sacheon, South Korea, is South Korea's national aerospace champion and the country's largest aerospace company — established through the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space & Aircraft divisions — manufacturing military aircraft, trainers, helicopters, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles while serving as the primary contractor for South Korea's KF-21 Boramae next-generation jet fighter program.
KAI's space business has grown significantly as South Korea pursues satellite manufacturing sovereignty. The company developed and integrated the Arirang (KOMPSAT) Earth observation satellites for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI): KOMPSAT-3 (2012, 70 cm optical resolution), KOMPSAT-5 (2013, SAR), and KOMPSAT-3A (2015, 55 cm multispectral) — each generation pushing South Korean optical and radar imaging capabilities toward commercial-grade resolution. KAI manufactures satellite bus structures and integration at its Sacheon facilities, with payload instruments typically sourced from KARI, ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute), or international partners.
In launch vehicle collaboration, KAI supported the Korean Satellite Launch Vehicle (KSLV-I / Naro) program as an integration partner, and contributes to the KSLV-II Nuri rocket's stage manufacturing — with Hanwha Aerospace producing the engines and KAI contributing structural components. KAI declined to bid for the next-generation KSLV-III launcher in March 2024, leaving Hanwha Aerospace as that programme's system integrator.
KAI's military aircraft programs dominate its revenue: the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer (exported to Philippines, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand), the FA-50 light combat aircraft, the Surion helicopter, and the KF-21 Boramae stealth-capable 4.5-generation fighter (first flight 2022) intended to reduce South Korea's dependence on F-35 imports for advanced air combat.
Products and product lines
| Product | Line | Note |
|---|---|---|
| CAS500 series (Compact Advanced Satellite 500) | Earth observation / small satellites | Developed and assembled by KAI at its Sacheon Space Center (opened August 2020, capacity for six 1.5-tonne satellites at once); CAS500-3 (512 kg, space-science payloads) launched on Nuri on November 27, 2025, with CAS500-2 following via SpaceX Falcon 9 on May 3, 2026. |
| KOMPSAT (Arirang) series | Earth observation satellites | KAI assembled the main components of eight KOMPSAT satellites for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), including KOMPSAT-3, -3A and -5. |
| Nuri (KSLV-II) structural assembly | Launch vehicle structures | KAI has about a decade of experience assembling first-stage propellant tanks for the Nuri rocket; Nuri's fourth flight on November 27, 2025 was the first led by Hanwha Aerospace as system integrator and carried the KAI-built CAS500-3. |
| KSLV-III (Korea Space Launch Vehicle III) — supporting role only | Next-generation launch vehicle | KAI declined to bid to lead this 2-trillion-won ($1.5B) program for a reusable, higher-payload successor to Nuri, announcing on February 21, 2024 that it would instead pursue its own reusable-launch-vehicle ('space mobility') strategy and participate only as a supporting contractor; Hanwha Aerospace became the sole bidder to lead the program. |
| Lockheed Martin strategic partnership | Partnership / technology cooperation | A June 18, 2025 memorandum of understanding broadened KAI's 30-year collaboration with Lockheed Martin (F-16, T-50, FA-50) into new areas including space, alongside rotary-wing aircraft, uncrewed systems and AI-based autonomy. |
Timeline
- 2023 KAI's space systems department says its Sacheon Space Center will have launched all four CAS500 satellites by the end of 2026 and that the company plans to pursue satellite export deals with existing aircraft customers. [source]
- 2024 KAI declines to bid to lead the KSLV-III next-generation launch vehicle program on its February 21 bidding deadline, saying it will instead develop reusable launch vehicles under its own 'Global 2050 Vision,' leaving Hanwha Aerospace as the sole bidder. [source]
- 2025 KAI and Lockheed Martin sign an MOU on June 18 broadening their defense partnership into new areas including space, rotary-wing aircraft, crewed-uncrewed teaming and AI-based autonomous technology. [source]
- 2025 The Nuri rocket's fourth flight — the first launch led by Hanwha Aerospace as system integrator rather than KARI — lifts off on November 27 carrying the KAI-developed CAS500-3 satellite and 12 cube satellites from Naro Space Center. [source]
Team
- Kim Jong-choolPresident and CEO · source
Signals
- Market cap, 90 days
- -14.5%
- Verification
- Verified 2026-09-10
Categories & Capabilities
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Stock Performance
047810.KS · Daily close data
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Frequently asked about Korea Aerospace Industries
Quick answers to the questions readers most often search for.
- When was Korea Aerospace Industries founded?
- Korea Aerospace Industries was founded in 1999 in South Korea.
- Where is Korea Aerospace Industries headquartered?
- Korea Aerospace Industries is headquartered in Sacheon, South Korea.
- What does Korea Aerospace Industries do?
- Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), founded in 1999 and headquartered in Sacheon, South Korea, is South Korea's national aerospace champion and the country's largest aerospace company — established through the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space & Aircraft divisions — manufactur…
- Is Korea Aerospace Industries publicly traded?
- Yes. Korea Aerospace Industries trades under the ticker 047810.KS on KSE.
- What sector does Korea Aerospace Industries operate in?
- Korea Aerospace Industries works in aerospace, Defense and Satellite manufacturing.
Sources
The structured fields on this page (founding year, location, sector, status, listing) and the profile text are drawn from the sources below. How profiles are drafted and checked is described in our methodology.
- Official website (koreaaero.com)
- Market data via Yahoo Finance (047810.KS) · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Wikidata / Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Korea Herald: [Beyond Earth] KAI poised to repeat success with satellite exports (14 May 2023) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Korea Herald: Korea's next-generation space rocket project off to bumpy start (3 Mar 2024) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Korea Herald: KAI, Lockheed Martin broaden defense partnership (18 Jun 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Korea Herald: S. Korea's Nuri rocket enters final check stage ahead of early Thurs. launch (26 Nov 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Korea Herald: 4th Nuri rocket launch opens up private-led space era in Korea (27 Nov 2025) · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Korea Herald: Korea eyes joint jet development with Embraer (29 Jul 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-10
Data Accuracy Notice: Information about Korea Aerospace Industries is compiled from publicly available sources including company websites, press releases, regulatory filings, and industry reports. Data is reviewed periodically but may not reflect the most recent developments.