[businessprofessor]

“He noted that the cost per KF-X jet is estimated at $55 million and its production aircraft is expected to be deployed from 2020.”

This statement seems wildly optimistic. South Korea does not have an indigenous fighter much less a stealth fighter. Unless they are stealing a design and production methods, I do not see how they can deploy a new stealth fighter until 2030.

[sukhoi-30mki]

They are already producing an advanced jet trainer/light fighter so they do have infrastructure. They have been doing research on the KFX project for a long time now and companies like Saab and Lockheed Martin have offered design assistance. Anyway, it’s not envisaged to be a true stealth aircraft with internal weapons so they can cut corners there. Sure the time/cost estimates appear optimistic, but they can do a pretty creditable job.

[Freeport]

Simple... The Capitalist way! Buy your way to a solution! They have the technical compitence for the airframe and electronics, not sure about actuators, RF coatings, engines or IR control, but the information’s out there.

[rmlew]

This statement seems wildly optimistic. South Korea does not have an indigenous fighter much less a stealth fighter. Unless they are stealing a design and production methods, I do not see how they can deploy a new stealth fighter until 2030.
I agree that it is wildly optimistic. The logical choice would be development with Japan, but for a host of reasons it's not going to happen.
The ROK has produced indigenous fighters, most recently the F-50 variant of the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle trainer