Indonesia vows full cooperation in probe into alleged tech theft of KF-21: official

Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) presents KF-21 fighter jet at Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2023, held at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi province, Oct. 17, 2023. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

Indonesia said its engineers under probe over allegedly stealing technologies related to the KF-21 fighter jet under development will provide their "full cooperation" in the investigation, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

The engineers dispatched to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) are under suspicion of storing data on KF-21 development on a USB, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

"We are engaging in active communication as requested by the Indonesian Embassy in Korea and providing the necessary cooperation," the official said told reporters.

"The Indonesian side has said the engineers will cooperate fully in the investigation," he added.

On Friday, Seoul's defense officials disclosed the ongoing probe by intelligence and defense authorities into the allegation discovered last month at KAI, the aircraft's manufacturer.

The probe is focused on whether the stored data contains strategic technologies related to the KF-21 development program, according to sources familiar with the issue. The Indonesians are currently known to be banned from leaving Korea.

The KF-21 project is aimed at developing a supersonic fighter to replace Korea's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets, with plans to deploy the first model in the country's Air Force in 2026. (Yonhap)