KF-21 Rolls Out After 25 Years — K-Defense Must Aim Higher

The first mass-produced unit of the KF-21, South Korea's first independently developed fighter jet, rolled off the production line on Sunday. The milestone signals the nation's emergence as an aerospace power and marks another step toward becoming one of the world's top four defense exporters. At the rollout ceremony, President Lee Jae-myung said, "Since President Kim Dae-jung declared the indigenous fighter jet development project in 2001, our researchers and military personnel never gave up despite countless obstacles, turning the impossible into reality." He added, "Twenty-five years and the sweat and dedication of countless people made this moment possible."

The KF-21's mass production is a hard-won achievement built on bipartisan cooperation across progressive and conservative administrations. The program began in 2001 when then-President Kim declared at an Air Force Academy graduation ceremony that South Korea would develop an indigenous fighter jet by 2015. The ambitious project drifted for 14 years, undergoing seven feasibility reviews due to enormous development costs and technical constraints, before the Park Geun-hye administration finally launched full-scale development in 2015. An unexpected dispute later arose with Indonesia, which had agreed to share part of the development costs. Nevertheless, the KF-21, built by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), completed its maiden flight in 2022, and the first mass-produced unit emerged just over three years later.

The KF-21's rollout after a quarter-century was underpinned by a national resolve to strengthen self-reliance by building advanced fighter jets designed and manufactured entirely with domestic capability, and to rise as a defense powerhouse. There are also encouraging signs that the KF-21's entry into global markets will begin in earnest, starting with the export of 16 units to Indonesia, which collaborated on the project.

This achievement must serve as a springboard for an even greater leap for K-defense. Realizing President Lee's vision of becoming a "top-four global defense power" requires aggressive defense diplomacy and comprehensive support spanning tax incentives, budgets, and financing. The Cheongung-II air defense system deployed in the United Arab Emirates recently proved its combat effectiveness during an Iranian air strike, impressing the world with the excellence of Korean defense technology. With outstanding cost-effectiveness and rapid delivery capabilities giving K-defense a competitive edge, the public and private sectors and the government must unite in an all-out effort to support defense exports so that the defense industry can become a new growth engine for the nation.