SEOUL(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.