
Korea to invest W700b in advanced air vehicles through 2031
Under the five-year AAV development plan, KASA expects to conduct pilot flights in 2030, followed by demonstrations for maritime transport and public safety missions in 2031. Certification processes for military and private sector use will be carried out in parallel, ensuring the aircraft can enter commercial service immediately after demonstrations.
KASA said AAVs could cut travel time between Korea's islands and the mainland to about one hour, improving mobility for island residents and supporting maritime surveillance missions against pollution and illegal fishing. The aircraft will also be tested for emergency medical transport and deliveries of urgent supplies to remote island areas, bolstering regional development efforts.
As Korea has one of the world's top 15 aerospace industries, KASA pointed out that securing a homemade aircraft platform is a key factor in nurturing its aerospace sector into a high-value-added industry.
On the same day, KASA held a public hearing for the five-year AAV development plan in Daejeon with about 100 stakeholders from relevant government bodies, companies, academic and research institutions as well as local governments.
Expert panels at the hearing noted that Korea can enter the new AAV market with high growth potential as the country can utilize its competitiveness in manufacturing key AAV technologies such as secondary batteries and semiconductors.
According to Morgan Stanley, AAVs and related service markets are projected to reach $1 trillion by 2040. With features such as low noise, eco-friendliness and vertical takeoff and landing, AAVs are considered the future of mobility as they can quickly transport passengers and goods in the air within cities and between regions.
'Because the AAV market will undergo drastic change, integrating a range of technological sectors and impacting our daily lives in the future, it is important that the industry and government join hands to swiftly pursue the project and secure the lead in the market,' said Kim Hyun-dae, director general of KASA's Aeronautics Innovation Mission Directorate.

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Korea Herald
18 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Korea to invest W700b in advanced air vehicles through 2031
Korea has decided to commit 700 billion won ($506 million) to securing domestically developed advanced air vehicles, or AAV, from 2027 to 2031, the Korea AeroSpace Administration said Thursday, aiming to commercialize the aircraft for both civilian and military use. Under the five-year AAV development plan, KASA expects to conduct pilot flights in 2030, followed by demonstrations for maritime transport and public safety missions in 2031. Certification processes for military and private sector use will be carried out in parallel, ensuring the aircraft can enter commercial service immediately after demonstrations. KASA said AAVs could cut travel time between Korea's islands and the mainland to about one hour, improving mobility for island residents and supporting maritime surveillance missions against pollution and illegal fishing. The aircraft will also be tested for emergency medical transport and deliveries of urgent supplies to remote island areas, bolstering regional development efforts. As Korea has one of the world's top 15 aerospace industries, KASA pointed out that securing a homemade aircraft platform is a key factor in nurturing its aerospace sector into a high-value-added industry. On the same day, KASA held a public hearing for the five-year AAV development plan in Daejeon with about 100 stakeholders from relevant government bodies, companies, academic and research institutions as well as local governments. Expert panels at the hearing noted that Korea can enter the new AAV market with high growth potential as the country can utilize its competitiveness in manufacturing key AAV technologies such as secondary batteries and semiconductors. According to Morgan Stanley, AAVs and related service markets are projected to reach $1 trillion by 2040. With features such as low noise, eco-friendliness and vertical takeoff and landing, AAVs are considered the future of mobility as they can quickly transport passengers and goods in the air within cities and between regions. 'Because the AAV market will undergo drastic change, integrating a range of technological sectors and impacting our daily lives in the future, it is important that the industry and government join hands to swiftly pursue the project and secure the lead in the market,' said Kim Hyun-dae, director general of KASA's Aeronautics Innovation Mission Directorate.


Korea Herald
05-08-2025
- Korea Herald
Student startup boom slows across South Korea, but top universities see sharp rise
Student-led startups are losing momentum across most of South Korea for the first time in three years, but at a handful of top universities, entrepreneurship is quietly accelerating. New data released Monday by the Korea Council for University Education and university startup support centers showed that 1,860 startups were founded by university students nationwide in 2024, falling 7 percent from the previous year's 2,000. The number of student entrepreneurs also declined, down 6.6 percent year-on-year from 2,137 to 1,997. This marks the first nationwide decline since 2021, when campus activity was still restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The slowdown follows two years of rapid growth in student entrepreneurship; from 2022 to 2023, it surged by more than 23 percent. The drop is thought to be largely due to a tougher investment climate, a slowing global economy and a significant pullback in government support programs. Two of South Korea's most prominent early-stage funding initiatives have seen sharp reductions. The "Pre-Startup Package" funded 1,530 companies in 2021, but only 930 in 2023, a 39.2 percent cut. Similarly, the "Early Startup Package" dropped from 900 companies to 590 over the same period, a 34.4 percent decrease. These programs are a primary funding source for student entrepreneurs who lack access to private venture capital. According to Lee Ki-dae, head of the Seoul-based Startup Alliance Center, reliance on public support creates a delayed but significant impact. 'Most student startups are not backed by private VC investment but by public or university support, so they tend to react to market changes with a time lag,' he said. Despite this cooling trend nationwide, four universities are bucking the pattern. In 2024, Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University and KAIST collectively produced 205 student entrepreneurs, a 31.4 percent increase from 156 in 2023. KAIST alone saw a 53.8 percent jump, followed by Korea University at 50 percent, Seoul National at 44.1 percent and Yonsei at 11.3 percent. Together, these four institutions now account for over 10 percent of all student entrepreneurs in the country, up from 7.8 percent just two years ago. 'At schools like KAIST or Seoul National, you have stronger labs, better access to funding, and a long history of research in advanced fields like AI, semiconductors and robotics,' Lee said. 'So when deep tech becomes the trend, it's natural that students at those universities are in a better position to start companies. They're surrounded by the right people, equipment and support systems from day one.'

Korea Herald
04-08-2025
- Korea Herald
Cancellation of treasury stocks, support for semiconductor industry
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