South Korea Signals Deeper Defense Partnership with Indonesia

Speaking at the South Korean National Day and Armed Forces Day reception in Jakarta on Thursday, October 1, 2026, Yoon described Indonesia as one of the country's key partners in the defense and security sector.

“Indonesia is a very important partner for us in defense and security. We have built strong defense and security cooperation with Indonesia,” Yoon said Thursday night, as quoted by Antara.

The ambassador said bilateral defense ties have developed substantially over the years and now cover a range of strategic areas. One of the most prominent examples is the joint development of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, a project that involved close cooperation between the two countries and successfully progressed through its development phase despite various challenges along the way.

“We successfully carried out the joint development of the advanced KF-21 fighter jet. We managed to overcome the various difficulties we faced, and the joint development phase has now been completed,” Yoon explained.

With that milestone achieved, South Korea hopes to broaden the scope of cooperation with Indonesia in the years ahead.

“We are now moving toward other goals, even higher goals. Not only in defense industry cooperation, but also in defense dialogue and other areas that are very important to us,” he added.

The ambassador’s remarks underscore the growing strategic nature of Indonesia-South Korea relations, particularly as both countries seek to strengthen collaboration in defense technology, military exchanges, and regional security issues.

A number of prominent Indonesian figures attended the reception. Among them included former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Minister of Investment and Downstreaming Rosan Roeslani, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Affairs Irfan Yusuf, and Regional Representative Council (DPD) Speaker Sultan Najamudin.

Several foreign ambassadors based in Jakarta, including representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia, also attended the event.

As Indonesia and South Korea look beyond the KF-21 program, both countries are expected to explore new opportunities for cooperation aimed at strengthening their long-term strategic partnership in defense and security. ***