South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto engaged in summit discussions to enhance bilateral relations, with a focus on defense industry collaboration. Prabowo’s visit to Seoul marked his second meeting with Lee, following their previous interaction at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea last year.
The discussions are anticipated to center on expanding defense industry cooperation, particularly regarding the joint development of the KF-21 fighter jet, hailed by Lee as a prime example of global defense collaboration. South Korea is set to finalize an agreement to export 16 KF-21 jets to Indonesia, marking the nation’s inaugural overseas sale of domestically produced fighter aircraft.
In addition to defense matters, the leaders are likely to explore avenues to bolster South Korea’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and address broader security and global concerns, encompassing the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East. Indonesia, recognized as a crucial ASEAN member with vast resources, is deemed a strategic partner for South Korea.
South Korea intends to confer upon Prabowo the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, the nation’s highest accolade, in acknowledgment of his efforts in fortifying bilateral relations and supporting Korean enterprises in Indonesia. Lee will also present Prabowo with a traditional Korean bow set and a martial arts book from the Joseon Dynasty, reflecting the Indonesian president’s military background and keen interest in martial arts.
Seoul and Jakarta initiated a collaboration in 2015 to develop the fighter jet, with Indonesia agreeing to fund a portion of the project in exchange for technology transfer. However, due to payment delays, the contribution amount was reduced, and the level of technology transfer was adjusted.
