While South Korea needs the 120 fighters to replace its aging fleet of McDonnell Douglas F-4D/E Phantom IIs and Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIs, the KF-X might be the most expensive option. In June, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) announced that it would purchase 40 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters. That announcement coincided with South Korea's deployment of tanks and troops to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) along its border with North Korea. The Eurasian Times reported that some aviation experts expect the costs of the KAI-built KF-X to exceed Lockheed Martin's F-35. A report from Forbes.com noted that each KF-X could around $130 million, which is significantly more than the U.S.-built F-35 cost in 2019.

Source: Forbes September 11, 2020 15:22 UTC