Korea Aerospace Industries staff help renovate Indonesian school

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) employees pose during a volunteer program at Tugu Bhakti School in Jakarta, Indonesia, that took place from Monday to Wednesday. Courtesy of KAI

Twenty-seven employees of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) traveled to Jakarta this week to help renovate one of the city’s oldest schools serving underprivileged students, the aerospace and defense manufacturer said Tuesday.

From Monday through Wednesday, the volunteers worked on reconstruction efforts at Tugu Bhakti School, which enrolls about 200 students from kindergarten through middle school, many from economically vulnerable families.

The renovation began in May, funded by 200 million won ($145,000) raised by KAI and its employees. The project was carried out in cooperation with Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense and local government officials.

During the three-day on-site volunteer project, KAI officials helped with mural painting, along with desk and chair repairs.

Indonesia is a key defense partner for KAI, Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer.

Jakarta was the first overseas buyer of the KT-1 basic training aircraft and also purchased T-50 advanced trainers. The Southeast Asian nation is also Korea’s co-development partner for the KF-21, the country’s first domestically developed fighter jet.

"In light of the long-standing partnership between KAI and Indonesia built on deep mutual trust, I hope our relationship can go beyond just technology and business and expand into people to people and heart-to-heart connections," said Choi In-soo, a KAI executive who led the volunteer team.

According to KAI, the volunteering project in Indonesia is part of the firms' corporate social responsibility program, Defense KAI. The initiative aims to support vulnerable communities and institutions in countries with defense cooperation.

Launched in 2023, Defense KAI began by honoring Korean War veterans through visits to the U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan and Seoul National Cemetery.

It has since expanded to include international projects such as school reconstruction, book donations, volunteer activities and disaster relief fundraising across Southeast Asian and Latin American countries.