Injunction on F-X denied to Dassault

The Seoul District Court on Wednesday denied an injunction sought by the French aerospace company Dassault that would block the South Korean government from proceeding with selection of the next generation fighter jet program.

The court said it could not find legal grounds for eliminating the U.S. company Boeing from bidding for the $4.2 billion project, although the American contender's initial proposal failed to meet Seoul's criteria. The court also said the National Defense Ministry had not submitted documents necessary for it to rule on the injunction.

"The ruling is extremely disappointing," said Lee Byeong-ju, a lawyer representing the French firm. Dassault is reviewing whether to appeal the ruling and whether to proceed with the suit without an injunction, he said.