Prabowo Jokingly Requests Favourable Price from KAI CEO for Boramae Jet
There was an interesting moment when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended a lunch hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Presidential Palace Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House) in Seoul on Wednesday (1/4/2026) local time. Accompanied by Lee, Prabowo shook hands with the South Korean businessmen attending the event.
When it came time to shake hands with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) CEO Kim Jong-chul, Prabowo was momentarily surprised. After Kim introduced himself, the Indonesian leader immediately joked, “Ok, give us good price, haa,” Prabowo said to Kim with a laugh.
KAI is the manufacturer of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet. The project was formerly known as the Korean Fighter Experiment/Indonesian Fighter Experiment (KFX/IFX). Since the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), the Indonesian government has contributed 20% to the project’s development. After payments were delayed, under Prabowo’s administration, the project is now in the finalisation process.
In his speech at the event, Prabowo expressed appreciation for the hospitality and emphasised the importance of the outcomes from the bilateral meetings. He acknowledged that the discussions with President Lee had yielded productive and strategic achievements for Indonesia-South Korea relations.
“It is a great honour for me to be here after the very productive and beneficial discussions we have held today. Elevating our bilateral relations to a special comprehensive strategic partnership, along with the signing of several important agreements, reflects the deep trust and shared vision that bind our two countries,” Prabowo stated.
He also expressed confidence that the enhanced partnership and agreements reached would bring tangible and sustainable benefits to both nations. Prabowo highlighted the shared historical journey between Indonesia and South Korea, both of which struggled hard for independence and nation-building.
“We have many similarities in history and shared interests. Both our countries had to fight very hard for independence. The Republic of Korea has succeeded very well in becoming a highly advanced industrial nation,” Prabowo said.
During the occasion, Prabowo and President Lee also witnessed the exchange of 10 memoranda of understanding (MoU) worth Rp 173 trillion between the two countries to strengthen their strategic partnership.
The 10 MoUs exchanged are as follows:
Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Special Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue
Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation 2.0
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Critical Minerals Partnership
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Digital Development
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in AI for Basic Healthcare and Human Development
Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Cooperation in Clean Energy
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Offshore Power Generation Services Industry
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Protection and Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
Memorandum of Understanding on Financial Cooperation (Danantara–Exim Bank of Korea)