F-15K for South Korea!?

Hi!

I found the following article on defense-aerospace.com:

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South Korea picks Boeing’s F-15K for fighter order

SEOUL, March 27 (AFP) – 03:14 GMT – South Korea has decided to buy Boeing Co.’s F-15K over the French Rafale jet for a bitterly contested multi-billion dollar fighter jet order, Yonhap news agency said Wednesday.
The Defence Ministry would not comment on the report by the national news agency but a spokesman said a formal announcement on the contract to buy 40 fighter jets would be made later.

Government officials confirmed that a National Security Council meeting was held Wednesday morning. Press reports said the so-called F-X deal was to be discussed by top ministers at the meeting.

Yonhap said buying the F-15K was now certain under an evaluation formula set up by the South Korean defence ministry. It said the ministry aims to sign a contract with Boeing by the end of April after getting formal approval from President Kim Dae-Jung.

The deal for 40 fighter jets to be delivered from 2005 has been hotly disputed by Boeing and Dassault Aviation SA, the makers of the Rafale, which were considered the favourites.

The other contenders were the Typhoon 2000 made by the Eurofighter consortium — with firms from Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain — and the Russian Su-32 made by Sukhoi.

Boeing’s contender is the last version of the F-15 which has been in service for more than 20 years, including in the 1991 Gulf War.

The Rafale is just entering production. Though Dassault is still looking for its first foreign buyer it has insisted the Rafale is technically better than the F-15K and cheaper.

Dassault officials said they would not comment on developments until an official announcement is made.

Three senior South Korean air force colonels have been arrested in recent weeks on charges of leaking military secrets or taking bribes from contenders.

South Korean police last week raided the offices of a public relations firm working for Dassault and seized computers and data. The French firm protested over the action.

The three detained officers had all been working on an official evaluation of the four contenders.

According to Yonhap, quoting defence officials, the F-15K and the Rafale were given marks within three percent of each other which meant a second stage evaluation would be carried out.

But because the new study will take into account South Korea’s strong defence alliance with the United States, Boeing was certain to be chosen, it said.

Defence Minister Kim Dong-Shin and the foreign and unification ministers were to take part in the National Security Council meeting on Wednesday.

The JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said some ministers had called for a delay in the selection, citing possible diplomatic problems from the choice and North Korea’s anticipated angry reaction and rising anti-US sentiment in South Korea.

But the defence minister insisted the government had to go ahead, JoongAng Ilbo added.
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Can anyone confirm the piece of news?