SEOUL - Gita Amperiawan, the CEO of PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), visited South Korea for talks related to the KF-21 fighter jet project, amid investigations into an alleged data theft by a PTDI employee. The visit, which occurred on Thursday and lasted two days, included meetings with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), the manufacturers of the KF-21.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the visit comes in the wake of a police probe into a January incident where a PTDI engineer is suspected of attempting to illicitly acquire technologies related to the KF-21 project at KAI's headquarters in Sacheon, 296 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Indonesia has been a partner in the development of the advanced supersonic fighter since 2015, aiming for completion by 2026, with PTDI engineers dispatched to work alongside KAI. Despite Amperiawan's discussions focusing on future cooperation and the ongoing joint development project, concerns have been raised regarding Jakarta's commitment, as it has reportedly lagged in fulfilling its financial contributions, agreed to cover approximately 20 percent of the project's 8.1 trillion won cost.