President Lee Jae Myung presided over the KF-21 rollout ceremony Wednesday at Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. The event marked the culmination of a decade-long development effort. Lee called the aircraft a milestone in South Korea’s pursuit of defense self-reliance, framing it as the nation’s transformation from arms importer to advanced weapons developer.
“The success of the KF-21 is not simply a strengthening of defense capabilities,” Lee said in his congratulatory speech. “Rather it means that the Republic of Korea has secured a new engine that enables it to compete confidently with the world’s leading defense powers.”
Interest in the KF-21 has grown steadily among prospective buyers. The aircraft offers strong performance, cost-efficient upkeep, and broad adaptation potential. Foreign military officials have followed its development closely. As a result, the rollout drew unusually high diplomatic attendance.
The KF-21 Boramae is a 4.5-generation supersonic fighter jet. It features reduced radar observability compared to fourth-generation aircraft. Development began in December 2015. The first prototype rolled out in April 2021 and completed its first flight in July 2022. Mass production began in July 2024, and developmental flight testing wrapped up in January of this year. Throughout testing, six prototypes conducted 955 ground tests and 1,601 flight tests.
Lee underscored that the government will use the KF-21’s success as a stepping-stone. The ultimate goal is to become one of the world’s top four defense powers. The rollout carried particular weight because it occurred twenty-five years after President Kim Dae-jung first proposed developing an indigenous fighter. Kim delivered that vision in March 2001 at the Korea Air Force Academy.
The ceremony drew a wide range of foreign diplomats and military officials. Ambassadors from Britain, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, and Peru attended. Military attaches from Iraq, Australia, Egypt, Thailand, Poland, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia also came. The timing was no coincidence. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visits Seoul from March 31 to April 2. The two sides expect to sign an export contract for sixteen KF-21 jets during the visit.
Lee emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the KF-21 as a platform that can help safeguard partner countries’ airspace.”We were once a country that depended on foreign-supplied weapons,” he said. “Now we develop and produce advanced arms with our own technology. Our fighter jet will defend Korean airspace. It will also serve as a symbol of solidarity and a messenger of peace.”
The KF-21 program brought together the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Korea Aerospace Industries, and a broad network of academic and research institutions. The aircraft now moves to the final phase before deployment. The manufacturer and the Air Force will conduct performance verification tests, with deployment scheduled for September. Production will then continue to meet both domestic and export orders.
Senior officials attended the ceremony, including Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon, and Korea Aerospace Industries CEO Kim Jong-chool. Military leaders were also present: Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha, Navy Chief Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul, Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Son Seok-rak, and Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Ju Il-suk.
Lee pledged that the government will continue pursuing long-envisioned defense self-reliance while expanding South Korea’s role in global peace and prosperity. The KF-21 stands as the most ambitious indigenous weapons program in South Korean history. Its rollout demonstrates the nation’s growing technological capability, and with export prospects already materializing, the program promises both security and economic returns.
In conclusion, South Korea unveiled its first mass-produced KF-21 fighter jet on Wednesday, twenty-five years after President Kim Dae-jung first proposed the idea. President Lee presided over the ceremony at Korea Aerospace Industries, calling the aircraft a milestone in defense self-reliance. The program now positions South Korea among the world’s leading defense producers, with an export contract to Indonesia expected within days.
