South Korea and Indonesia Strengthen Defense and Energy Ties Amid Mideast Market Disruptions
SEOUL — South Korea and Indonesia agreed on Wednesday to expand cooperation in defense industries, technology, and supply chains, as their leaders upgraded the bilateral strategic partnership in response to uncertainties stemming from the war in the Middle East.
Following a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the two governments issued a joint statement pledging deeper economic ties and continued collaboration on joint defense projects, including fighter jets, trainer aircraft, and anti-tank missile systems.
The leaders expressed satisfaction with progress on South Korea’s KF-21 supersonic fighter program, launched in 2015 with Indonesia as a partner. The first planes were rolled out last week, and South Korea reportedly plans to export 16 of them to Indonesia.
On the energy front, the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation on supply chains for energy, critical minerals, and other resources. Lee described Indonesia as a vital source of natural gas and coal amid global energy disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East.
According to Lee’s government, South Korean companies will receive about 820,000 tons of liquefied natural gas from Indonesia this year — enough to power all of the country’s gas-fired plants for roughly 12 days.
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