https://mbiz.heraldcorp.com/article...SucGSgjEOPDgpDtnQQ_aem_OxmC687IlkkfgrY4kfHFKQ
10 Indonesian Lawmakers Visit South Korea for Meeting with Foreign Affairs Committee "No Leakage of Sensitive KF-21 Data" Indonesia and South Korea Reach Consensus on Continuing Defense Cooperation
In September last year, Indonesia officially informed South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) that it would only be able to negotiate amendments to the agreement once the engineers were cleared of allegations.
Recently, Indonesia has also requested a temporary return of the five engineers, who are currently under a travel ban and under investigation, ahead of the upcoming Ramadan period.
The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency, which investigated the case at DAPA’s request, concluded its investigation in December last year and forwarded the case to the prosecution. However, the prosecution requested further investigation, leading to an ongoing inquiry.
So far, it has been reported that the USB devices, which were confiscated when the Indonesian engineers were caught attempting unauthorized data transfers, did not contain sensitive KF-21-related information.
Additionally, the photos taken from monitors could have been obtained through formal requests to KAI, suggesting procedural violations rather than breaches of classified information.
However, the combined impact of Indonesia’s reduced financial contribution and the data leak controversy has led to a deterioration in South Korean public sentiment toward Indonesia.
A government source stated, “As far as we know, no confidential or sensitive materials were leaked during the investigation. However, public opinion must be considered. Various options are being explored to sustain cooperation with Indonesia on the KF-21 project, and working-level discussions are ongoing.”
Some experts argue that a pragmatic approach is necessary, considering Indonesia was the first major customer of South Korea’s now globally recognized defense industry. They also point out that despite the 2011 hotel intrusion incident involving Indonesia’s special envoy and South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Indonesia did not escalate the matter, demonstrating its longstanding cooperation.
Representative Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party, who attended the meeting with Laksono, stated, “Indonesia was the first customer of our country’s aircraft exports and remains a key client of K-defense, having purchased the KT-1 basic trainer, T-50 advanced trainer, and even submarines.” He added, “During the meeting, we emphasized that Indonesia, as a partner in the KF-21 project, is successfully carrying out this win-win initiative between the two countries and highlighted the importance of defense cooperation between South Korea and Indonesia.”
Representative Yoo further stated, “Regarding the security incident involving Indonesian engineers, the South Korean government and National Assembly are making every effort to resolve the issue. We have asked the Indonesian side to trust us and actively cooperate in addressing the matter.”
