Gyeongju, South Korea, November 2: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday said he hoped to expand military and security cooperation with Indonesia, building on the two countries’ long-standing partnership in developing fighter jets, his office said.
Lee made the remarks during talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the southeastern city of Gyeongju.
A decade ago, Seoul and Jakarta agreed to jointly develop the KF-21 fighter jet, one of South Korea’s most ambitious defence projects aimed at boosting its aerospace industry. Since then, Indonesia’s financial contribution to the project has been reduced under a renegotiated deal between the two countries.
At Saturday’s meeting, Prabowo said discussions over the project were still continuing. “Negotiations are ongoing, and of course they depend on economics, price and financing factors. So I think our ministers and our technical team will continue this,” Prabowo said, according to a statement from the Indonesian presidential palace.
Lee’s office said the South Korean leader expressed hope that cooperation on defence and security would continue to strengthen, reflecting both nations’ shared interests in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
