KS Steel is a permanent magnetic steel with three times the magnetic reluctance of tungsten steel, which was developed in 1917 by the Japanese scientist and inventor Kotaro Honda. "KS" stands for Kichizaemon Sumitomo, the head of the family-run conglomerate, who provided financial support for the research leading to KS Steel's invention. Honda would go on to invent NKS steel in 1933 whose magnetic resistance is several times higher than that of KS Steel.[1]