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View all search resultsSouth Korea open to future defense co-development with Jakarta despite fighter jet setback
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A South Korean Air Force KF-21 fighter jet
performs during a media demonstration on Oct. 16, 2023, at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) in Seongnam, South Korea. (AFP/Anthony Wallace)
S
outh Korea remains open to jointly developing future defense systems with Indonesia despite setbacks in the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet program, a Korean diplomat has said, describing the experience as an asset that strengthened mutual trust between the two countries.
The remarks came on the back of a formal completion of the long-delayed KF-21 development phase in July, more than a decade after Indonesia joined the project as South Korea’s first foreign co-development partner in 2015.
“We’ve gone through some hiccups throughout this project. We all know that,” Uhm Taeho, counsellor and political section chief at the South Korean Embassy in Indonesia, said during a discussion in Central Jakarta on Aug. 26.
Uhm cited various instances throughout the years when the fighter jet program stalled, prompting both countries to return to the negotiating table to “tweak the terms and come to an agreement” to push the project across the finish line.
Despite the delays, the diplomat said the KF-21 remained a "successful" project and that the experience “had not deterred Seoul from considering Indonesia” as a partner in future defense co-development projects.
“It was successful because both of our countries were able to overcome all challenges. We are happy with what came out of the project [in the end],” he added.
Read also: Indonesia to buy KF-21 directly from South Korea, drops FAL plan
