President Jokowi Holding Talks on Subs and Defense Technology Transfer with South Korea

Jakarta, 07 Sya’ban 1437/15 May 2016 (MINA) – In addition to economic cooperation, defense affairs will be an agenda highly discussed during the upcoming visit of President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo to South Korea.

The President will leave Indonesia for South Korea this Sunday (15/5) for a four-day visit GIVnews reported, as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

While in South Korea, the Indonesian president will get firsthand information about the progress of the manufacturing of three submarines Indonesia had ordered from that country. The Indonesian government had in 2012 placed an order for the three Chang Bogo  class submarines.

The process is continuing. The construction of the first submarine has been finished.

The second one will be ready in 2017. Meanwhile the third submarine will be built (by South Korea) in Indonesia, which will be finished in 2018,” Witjaksono Adji, director for Central and East Europe affairs at Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

South Korea will build the third submarine in Indonesia, helping the latter in technology transfer for development of Indonesia’s primary defense system (alutsista).

“So we will stress that the (third) submarine should be built in Indonesia so that there will be transference of science and knowledge to our engineers,” Witjaksono Adji told reporters.

The official said such technology transfer was also expected from South Korea’s manufacturing of jets for the Indonesian military. The two countries had signed an agreement for that project.

Meanwhile, President Jokowi is also expected to discuss with Russian officials about Indonesia’s plan to buy two new submarines to augment its navy’s fleet.
President Jokowi is scheduled to leave South Korea for Russia on May 18 to attend the ASEAN-Russian Summit. The summit will end on May 20. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)