By Ahmad Syabil Sultan Noordin Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Standing less than five metres away from a fighter jet that will soon bear a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) roundel, the moment felt both surreal and deeply personal.
Inside a secure facility at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, South Korea, foreign journalists participating in the recent Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) International Journalist Invitation Programme were given a rare opportunity to see the FA-50M Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ordered by Malaysia.
The aircraft, still undergoing assembly, already bore the Malaysian flag on its tail. A small yet poignant detail that stirred a quiet sense of pride and reflection, witnessed solely as the lone representative of the Malaysian media.
The scene was reminiscent of a car manufacturing plant, where vehicles line up at different stages of completion. Only this time, it was fighter jets, Malaysia’s future air power taking shape.
However, photography was strictly prohibited due to security restrictions, but the image of the FA-50M standing silently inside the hangar left a lasting impression.
KAI has committed to delivering four FA-50M aircraft to the RMAF by the end of 2026, reinforcing defence cooperation between the two countries.
Beyond the FA-50 programme, KAI’s capabilities span fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, maintenance and training systems, while also serving as a Tier-1 partner to global aerospace giants such as Airbus and Boeing.
From the skies, the programme continued to the seas with a visit to Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in Geoje, one of the world’s largest and most advanced shipbuilding facilities.
Spanning five square kilometres and employing more than 31,000 people, the sheer scale of the infrastructure was overwhelming.
Journalists expressed visible awe as massive vessels, from submarines and destroyers to offshore platforms and Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units took form across the yard.
For more than four decades, Hanwha Ocean has built and maintained submarines and surface ships for the Republic of Korea Navy and other international clients.
Since 1973, the company has delivered over 1,400 vessels, including 114 naval ships, cementing its reputation as a global shipbuilding powerhouse.
The journey into Korea’s defence ecosystem continued in Changwon, starting with Hyundai Rotem, South Korea’s sole manufacturer of ground weapon systems.
From a country with no history of producing main battle tanks, Hyundai Rotem has grown into a global exporter of the K2 Black Panther main battle tank, a transformation achieved through technology transfer and sustained innovation.
Today, the company is investing heavily in future combat technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and unmanned ground vehicles, reflecting the evolving nature of modern warfare.
Nearby, journalists visited Hanwha Aerospace, which consolidated its defence businesses following a major merger in April 2023. The company is now actively expanding into global markets across Europe, the Middle East and the United States.
Hanwha Aerospace is best known as the manufacturer of the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer, one of the world’s most widely used artillery systems, currently operated by 10 countries.
Adding a rare experiential element to the visit, journalists had the opportunity to ride aboard a K9 Thunder, touring the company’s facility, a brief but memorable encounter that brought defence reporting beyond theory and into physical reality.
In Ulsan, the programme showcased Korea’s maritime strength at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the operator of the world’s largest shipyard.
With more than 35,000 employees, multiple building docks, submarine construction facilities and massive Goliath cranes, the scale of operations underscored Korea’s industrial ambition.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has built 108 naval vessels to date and exported 20 of them, the highest export record among Korean shipyards.
Its achievements include the construction of Aegis-class destroyers, frigates, logistics support vessels, submarines and Korea’s first indigenous warship, the Ulsan-class frigate, in 1980.
The final defence-related stop took journalists to LIG Nex1 in Gumi, a leading supplier of advanced weapon systems for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and an increasingly prominent global exporter.
The company is known as the manufacturer of K-SAAM or HAEGUNG, a shipborne Surface-to-Air/ Anti-Air Missile System, which is expected to be embarked on the LMS Batch 2 for the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Furthermore, based on the company’s multi-layered air defense capability such as M-SAM(Medium range Surface-to-Air Missile), the company is looking forward to reciprocal collaborations with Malaysian local industries with regard to the “MERAD – Medium Range Air Defense” programme led by RMAF.
The programme began with a policy and media foundation at the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) Centre, a government agency under MCST that supports foreign journalists with access to official information and promotes Korea’s international cultural outreach.
As the programme concluded, it became clear that the experience was not merely a series of site visits. It was a carefully curated narrative of how South Korea connects culture, security and industry as well as how behind every platform, vessel or aircraft are people, partnerships and a long-term national vision.
For journalists, standing before Malaysia’s FA-50M or riding inside a K9 Thunder offered something no press release could deliver in terms of context, perspective and a human connection to the stories they report.
-- BERNAMA
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