Abstract
This study examines the history of Korean aviation industry and presents the investment strategy based on the evidence and the 4th industrial revolution. Looking at the evolution of the Korean aviation industry and its technological development will be a great help to support industrial and technological innovation in the future. The modern aviation industry is divided into stages of development, focusing on maintenance of equipment introduced in advanced countries, localization through license assembly, production of products based on technology, and international joint development. The development of aeronautics technology has been progressing towards a general improvement of economic efficiency, aircraft safety efficiency through environmental-friendliness, unmanned operation, and downsizing. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute has secured key technologies through development of several aircrafts such as Experimental Aircraft Kachi, EXPO Unmanned Airship, Twin-engine Composite Aircraft, Canard Aircraft, Multi-Purpose Stratosphere unmanned-airship, Medium Aerostats, Smart UAV, Surion, EAV-2H, KC-100, and OPV. The development strategy is discussed at the level of the evidence-based investment strategy that is currently being discussed, and so the investment priorities in aircraft is high. Current drone usage and development direction are not only producing parts using 3D printer, but also autonomous flight, communication (IoT, 5G), information processing (big data, machine learning). Therefore, the aviation industry is expected to lead the fourth industrial revolution.
