Experts urge preemptive action to prevent sensitive military technology from reaching North Korea.
Indonesia’s renewed diplomatic engagement with North Korea has raised concerns in Seoul over the possible breach of sensitive technology related to the KF-21, a cutting-edge fighter jet jointly developed with the Southeast Asian nation.
South Korean officials maintain that KF-21 data is protected under existing nondisclosure agreements with Jakarta. Still, critics point to Indonesia’s record on the joint project, including payment delays and leak scandals, which have undermined its credibility.
According to Indonesian media reports, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono earlier this month met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang, marking the first visit to North Korea by an Indonesian top diplomat since 2013. The meeting coincided with a military parade on Oct. 10 celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
During the visit, the two countries renewed a memorandum of understanding establishing a mechanism for bilateral consultations, aimed at expanding cooperation across the political, socio-cultural, technical and sports sectors.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi Sugiono, fifth from left, shakes hands with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui in Pyongyang, Oct. 11, in this photo carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap
Details of the technical exchange were not disclosed, but observers in Seoul have expressed concerns given Indonesia’s status as one of South Korea’s major defense partners.
The KF-21 Boramae, a 4.5-generation fighter jet project jointly launched in 2015, is slated for completion in 2026. However, repeated payment delays have complicated the partnership.
Jakarta initially agreed to fund about 20 percent of the project — valued at 8.1 trillion won ($5.9 billion) — in exchange for 48 IF-X aircraft, the Indonesian variant of the fighter, to be produced through technology transfer.
Following repeated payment delays, the two sides eventually agreed in June this year to reduce Indonesia’s contribution to roughly 600 billion won, about one-third of the original amount, along with a lower level of technology transfers.
Trust was further strained last year when Indonesian engineers at Korea Aerospace Industries were caught attempting to remove a USB flash drive containing classified KF-21 data from a production facility. After months of investigation, prosecutors cleared five Indonesian engineers of criminal charges in June.
A KF-21 fighter jet is on display at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Yonhap
Observers have called for preemptive measures in the wake of renewed diplomatic relations between Indonesia and North Korea, which has long sought to obtain South Korea’s defense technologies.
Police said last year that three North Korean hacking groups infiltrated about 10 domestic defense firms over an 18-month period in coordinated attempts to steal military information.
“Indonesia has long had weaknesses in managing sensitive information, and these structural issues have caused several disruptions in the KF-21 project,” said Yang Uk, a military expert and research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
He pointed out that the South Korean government also lacked a system to strictly manage sensitive technologies during its cooperation with Indonesia, raising the risk of further leaks.
Some analysts have noted that concerns over technology security extend beyond South Korea, as U.S. technology is also said to be involved in the KF-21 program. While most of the aircraft’s core systems were developed domestically, its F414 engines are built under license from U.S. firm GE Aerospace.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) brushed off concerns, saying that the KF-21 technology remains protected under the nondisclosure agreement with Indonesia.
“We do not believe KF-21 technology will be leaked. We strictly limit access to technology transfers to approved end users and will ensure it cannot be compromised,” DAPA chief Seok Jong-gun said Friday during a National Assembly audit session.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to confirm whether Indonesia had consulted Seoul before renewing diplomatic engagement with North Korea.
“We are closely communicating with relevant countries regarding issues related to dialogue with North Korea,” an official said Thursday.
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