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　The US repeated that it would not allow the transfer of four technologies necessary for the development of the Korean domestic jet fighter (KF-X). Instead, the US and South Korea decided to create a working group to cooperate on the defense industry, South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced on Oct. 16.　

　On Oct. 15, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo at the Pentagon, in Washington, where he communicated this position, the Ministry said. While Han requested multiple times during the meeting for the US to reconsider the technology transfer for the Korean fighter project, Carter said that the four technologies for the KF-X could not be transferred. In exchange, Carter suggested that the two countries could explore ways to work together on the remaining 21 technologies, the Ministry added.

　The previous day, Carter had sent a letter containing this information to the Ministry via the US Embassy in South Korea, the Ministry said. Carter’s letter represented a response to the letter that Han had sent in August of last year requesting the technology transfer.　

　“During the meeting on Friday, the two leaders agreed to create and operate a working group between the US and South Korea in order to promote cooperation on technology in the defense industry, which would include cooperation on the Korean fighter project,” the Ministry said.　

　Reportedly, this working group would be composed of South Korean figures from a variety of related areas, including the Defense Ministry and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), and US experts from the Pentagon and related companies.　

　“Additional discussion will be needed to determine specifically how the working group will be composed and operated. The working group that we agreed upon will largely discuss technological cooperation connected with the development of the Korean fighter,” an official at South Korea’s Defense Ministry said.　

　But since the US remains opposed to transferring the four key technologies, it is unclear to what extent the US will respond to South Korean requests for technological cooperation in this working body.　

　This past April, the US government announced that it would refuse to grant an export license for four of the 25 technologies that the South Korean government had requested as offset trade for the next generation fighter project, including system integration of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.　

　When this fact finally came to light during a hearing at the National Assembly last month, it prompted questions about whether the Korean fighter project would run into difficulties and criticism that the South Korean government had not made an adequate diplomatic effort to win over the US.　

　The pressure of public opinion was one of the main reasons that Han Min-koo accompanied President Park Geun-hye on her visit to the US and met personally with Carter to request the technology transfer.　

　“We didn’t think there was much chance that the US would reverse its position on blocking the technology transfer, but Han made the request to Carter himself to show that he had done his best,” an official at the Ministry said. This has provoked criticism that Han’s efforts were too little, too late.　

　With the US government reconfirming its refusal to grant the technology transfer, concerns are once again being voiced about how this might hinder efforts to develop the Korean fighter.　

　“After reviewing a variety of technology, we have come to the conclusion that development is possible through working on domestic development and turning to other countries for technology cooperation when necessary,” DAPA said in regard to this.　

　The Korean fighter project, which seeks to develop a medium-level fighter, on par with an F-16, is expected to cost 8.1 trillion won (US$7.16 billion) between 2014 and 2025.

　By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

　Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]