Gyeongju: President Lee Jae Myung and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto engaged in discussions on defense industry cooperation, including the joint development of the KF-21 fighter jet, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the two leaders emphasized the significance of their countries' partnership not only in trade and investment but also in security and defense. President Lee highlighted the deep and advanced cooperative relationship between South Korea and Indonesia, expressing a desire for this partnership to continue growing, particularly in the realm of military and security sectors.
The discussions also included the ongoing joint fighter jet development project, with President Lee expressing optimism for greater results through continued cooperation. President Subianto reiterated his government's openness to increased participation by Korean companies and indicated that further talks on the KF-21 project would proceed.
Furthermore, President Subianto mentioned that discussions regarding the project's economic feasibility, including pricing and funding plans, are ongoing between the two governments and engineers. This comes after South Korea and Indonesia reached an agreement in June to reduce Jakarta's financial contribution to the KF-21 project to 600 billion won (US$443 million), a significant decrease from the original amount.
Additionally, President Lee extended an invitation to President Subianto for a state visit to South Korea, noting that a planned trip in September did not occur. President Subianto responded positively, expressing his intention to prepare for a state visit at an early date.