Ex-Industry Minister Bang to be named ambassador to Indonesia: sources

Former Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu is expected to be appointed the new South Korean ambassador to Indonesia, diplomatic sources said Friday.

An internal personnel review process is under way for Bang to fill the post that has been vacant since July, sources said.

The previous ambassador, Lee Sang-deok, left the position after he was tapped to lead the state agency for overseas Koreans.

Bang's likely appointment would reflect the importance South Korea attaches to its partnership with the Southeast Asian country, officials said. It is considered rare that a minister-level figure is named the top envoy to Jakarta.

South Korea and Indonesia have been bolstering cooperation in defense and other areas, particularly with the joint development project for the KF-21 fighter jet.

The 8.1 trillion-won ($6 billion) project has hit an impasse with Indonesia's repeated delays in the payment of its share of the project. In August, South Korea's arms procurement agency said it agreed to a plan to cut Indonesia's contribution to 600 billion won, from the original amount of 1.6 trillion won.

Bang, if appointed, is expected to be tasked with ensuring that the project is on track for a smooth run.

Bang, a career government official, has served as vice minister of economy and finance and later vice minister of health and welfare. He was appointed the industry minister in September last year but served for only three months to make an unsuccessful run for the April parliamentary election. (Yonhap)