South Korea police raid Korea Aerospace office over suspected fighter jet tech leak

Korea Aerospace Industries

15/03/2024 04:19

SEOUL, March 15 (Reuters) - South Korean police raided
the head office of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)  047810.KS 
on Friday in connection with two Indonesian nationals accused of
leaking technology related to a fighter jet project, a police
official said.
    The two engineers are accused of breaching South Korea's
Defense Acquisition Program Act and leaking technology related
to the KF-21, South Korea's homegrown fighter jet that is
partially backed by Indonesia.
    The raid started on Thursday and was continuing for a second
day, an official at the security investigation bureau of
Gyeongnam Provincial Police told Reuters.
    A KAI spokesperson said the company was "actively
cooperating" to ensure it could provide anything necessary for
the police investigation to establish the truth.
    The KF-21, developed by KAI, is designed to be a cheaper,
less stealthy alternative to the U.S.-built F-35, on which South
Korea relies. 
    An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson last month told
reporters the Southeast Asian nation's government was gathering
evidence about the allegations. 
    The KF-21 was a strategic project for both countries and
they would manage any problems arising from this cooperation as
much as possible, the spokesperson said at the time.
    South Korea and Indonesia resolved a dispute over funding
for the joint fighter jet in 2022 and have since vowed to expand
defence cooperation.  
    There have been concerns in South Korea that its regulations
were not strong enough to deter attempts to funnel technologies
from high-tech companies. The Sentencing Commission, overseen by
the Supreme Court of Korea, last year decided to toughen
punishments and lengthen jail times for leaking technology. 

 (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyunsu Yim in Seoul, and Gayatri
Suroyo in Jakarta; Editing by Ed Davies and Jamie Freed)
 ((Hyunsu.Yim@thomsonreuters.com;))