6. Restructuring and Continuity in the Aircraft Industry

Until 1960s, Korea primarily concentrated on improving the maintenance capability of military aircrafts, starting with the overhaul maintenance of the L-19 reconnaissance aircraft in 1955 (Korean Association of Aircraft Industry 2015). The Korean aircraft industry entered a new stage in the mid-1970s when it first began to seek coproduction. In the early 1970s, facing increasing security threat from North Korea, the Park government started internal discussions to examine the feasibility of indigenous development of aircrafts to improve self-reliant defense capability. The Park government carried out the modernization program of aircrafts in accordance with the “First Force Improvement Plan” to replace obsolescent F-5A and F-86. The Park Chung Hee government sought the coproduction of the “First F-X project” in order to modernize the defense capability of the Korean Air Force. While proceeding to acquire F-16, the Park government cautiously probed the possibility of coproduction. While the Park government attempted to coproduce both F-16 and F-5E/F, it could run the coproduction project of F-5E/F because the Jimmy Carter administration attempted to control arms transfer (Nolan 1986: 30-31). Although the Park government’s attempt was half-successful, it reflected the Korean government’s long-term goal of enhancing indigenous capability of the defense-related industries (Um 2016).