South Korea and Indonesia expand cooperation on defense and energy as Mideast war disrupts markets

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and Indonesia agreed Wednesday to expand cooperation in defense industries, technology and supply chains as their leaders pledged to upgrade their strategic partnership in face of uncertainties stemming from the war in the Middle East, Seoul’s presidential office said.

After a summit in Seoul between President Lee Jae Myung and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the two governments issued a joint statement pledging deeper economic ties and continued cooperation on joint defense projects, including fighter jets, trainer aircraft and anti-tank missile systems.

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 about 12 days.

The leaders expressed satisfaction with the two countries’ cooperation in developing South Korea’s homegrown KF-21 supersonic fighter, a program launched in 2015 with Indonesia as a partner. The first of these planes were rolled out last week and South Korea reportedly plans to export 16 of them to Indonesia.