S. Korea seeks to build first commercial jet

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is pushing to build its first commercial
jet as part of an effort to nurture the nation's aviation industry and foster
related technological development, government and industry sources said Sunday.
The government is working on a 10-year program to boost the domestic aviation
industry and will seek to build a 90-seat regional jet for the first time in the
country's history, according to officials from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

South Korea has so far only produced airplanes for military purposes, such as
trainer jets and helicopters.
"We plan to roll out a mid-sized commercial airplane that can seat around 90
passengers as market demand for regional aircraft is expected to grow," a
ministry official said on condition of anonymity, refusing to elaborate on the
timetable, investment volume or other details.
Industry sources say the project will very likely be spearheaded by Korea
Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), as it has expertise and experience in producing
military aircraft here.
KAI led the development of South Korea's trainer aircraft, the KT-1 and the T-50,
and recently completed the development of the country's first utility helicopter.
South Korea has sought to produce non-military aircraft for years, but its
efforts have been hindered mainly by the lack of technology or a market base.
"Once we accumulate experience in making mid-sized aircraft, we will try to
nurture the industry more systematically by participating in large-scale
production projects down the road based on such expertise," the ministry official
said.
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