South Korea Indonesia Consolidate Defense Industry Ties KF-21 Joint Development

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju to discuss expanding their defense industry cooperation, particularly focusing on the joint development of the KF-21 supersonic fighter jet. They expressed hope for deepening their already close military and security ties, emphasizing ongoing technical and economic discussions regarding the project's pricing, funding, and feasibility. In June, the two countries agreed to reduce Indonesia's financial contribution to the project to approximately US$443 million, about one-third of the original amount. Lee also invited Prabowo to make a state visit to South Korea, which the Indonesian president indicated he plans to prepare for soon. Both leaders highlighted the importance of their bilateral economic partnership, with Lee noting Indonesia's diplomatic principles as influential to South Korea's foreign policy and Prabowo praising Korea's cultural impact, particularly K-pop's popularity in Indonesia. The talks underscore a sustained and growing collaboration between the two nations in defense and broader economic relations.