The Pentagon has approved sales of state-of-the-art fighter jets to Korea.The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on its website Wednesday that it has notified the U.S. Congress that Seoul wants to purchase either 60 Lockheed Martin F-35s or 60 Boeing F-15s. The F-35s would cost an estimated US$10.8 billion, while the F-15s are presumed to cost roughly $8 billion, though official figures were not released.
Seoul says it will replace its current F-4 and F-5 jets by purchasing the new fighters directly from Washington or consider buying another model, the Eurofighter Typhoon built by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company.
Seoul is expected to announce its decision between June and November.