3-2-2024 (JAKARTA) The Indonesian government has initiated an investigation into allegations involving an Indonesian engineer linked to the joint project between the KF-21 fighter jet and the Korean Aerospace Industry (KAI).
The Foreign Ministry has directed its embassy in Seoul to collaborate closely with the South Korean Foreign Ministry and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhamad Iqbal stated, “The embassy has directly engaged with the Indonesian engineer and confirmed that the individual is not currently detained.” He emphasized the engineer’s pivotal role in the joint project since 2016, highlighting a deep understanding of working procedures and relevant regulations.
“The KF-21 project signifies a strategic collaboration benefiting both Indonesia and South Korea. Both nations remain committed to efficiently addressing any arising issues in this partnership,” he added.
On Friday, Yonhap news agency reported that South Korea is investigating Indonesian engineers for allegedly stealing KF-21 technology still under development.
The engineers assigned to KAI are suspected of storing KF-21 development data on a USB drive and are currently prohibited from leaving South Korea. Multiple agencies, including the National Intelligence Service, are conducting a joint investigation to determine if the data contains strategic technologies.
Indonesia, as a project partner, has not fulfilled its 20 per cent cost obligation for the project initiated in 2015. Payments lag nearly one trillion won behind the 8.8-trillion-won project cost.
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