South Korean lawmakers urge tougher laws after Indonesian engineers 'caught' stealing warplane data

After Indonesian engineers were allegedly caught attempting to take a removable drive containing data related to the KF-21 fighter jet, South Korean lawmakers have called for the government to enact tougher laws on preventing leaks of defence secrets. According to a South China Morning Post report, citing the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), technicians, who were working on the project at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), are under investigation on suspicion of saving the classified information on a USB device. “A joint investigation composed of related agencies, including the National Intelligence Service, is currently under way to look into the circumstances of the Indonesians’ alleged technology theft,” South China Morning Post report quoted a DAPA official as saying. According to the report, the investigation will also examine whether the stolen data contains sensitive technologies pertinent to the KF-21 development program, initiated in 2015. Indonesians are currently prohibited from leaving South Korea due to an incident that surfaced last month. Hong Suk-joon, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party, emphasised that under the laws protecting military expertise, there must be evidence of “intent to use in a foreign country” for a leak to be prosecuted in court. He called on fellow legislators to assist in closing these loopholes by passing relevant bills that have been pending before the National Assembly since 2020. Indonesia, a partner in the fighter jet project, reaffirmed its commitment to the plan despite failing to finance 20 per cent of the initiative’s 8.8 trillion won (US$6.5 billion) cost. An official from Indonesia’s defense ministry stated that Jakarta has allocated US$79.6 million this year to cover its share. According to Yonhap news agency, Indonesia is estimated to have paid 278.3 billion won for the planes, which are expected to be produced in the coming months. PTDI, Indonesia’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer partnering with KAI on the project, announced that the country’s foreign ministry would address the alleged data theft accusations. The KF-21 fighter jet was publicly unveiled last year at a defense exhibition in Seoul, featuring a demonstration flight. The South Korean air force aims to deploy 120 units of the KF-21 by 2032, replacing its aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters, as well as its fourth-generation F-16s and F-15Ks. With each jet’s cost ranging between $80 million and $100 million, South Korea, aspiring to become the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, anticipates that the model could serve as a cost-effective alternative to Chinese warplanes in markets across Asia and the Middle East. With inputs from agencies