Yoon Soon-gu, South Korea's Ambassador to Indonesia: "South Korea to Expand Defense, Economic and Cultural Cooperation; About 3,000 Korean Companies Active Locally"

[JAKARTA, Indonesia—Pragya Awasthi, Correspondent] South Korea and Indonesia are expanding cooperation across various fields, including the defense industry, the economy and investment, and cultural exchanges. Indonesia is home to about 3,000 Korean companies, which employ more than 1 million people locally and have become a key pillar of economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to local media on the 2nd, Yoon Soon-gu, South Korea's ambassador to Indonesia, said at a reception held in Jakarta on the evening of the 1st to commemorate Korea's National Day and Armed Forces Day, "Indonesia is a very important partner for Korea in the defense and security fields," adding, "The two countries have built a strong defense and security cooperation relationship."
Ambassador Yoon cited the joint development of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet as a leading example of defense industry cooperation. As the two countries have overcome various challenges during the project and completed the joint development phase, they plan to expand cooperation beyond the defense industry to defense dialogue and security cooperation more broadly. He emphasized, "We successfully developed the advanced KF-21 fighter jet together and overcame the various difficulties we faced in the process," adding, "We are now moving toward a higher level of cooperation."
Cooperation between the two countries has also continued to expand in the economic sphere. Yoon explained that Korean companies in Indonesia have expanded their activities from forestry and apparel to heavy industries such as steel and petrochemicals, with investment more recently broadening into green industries and digital transformation. As of last year, South Korea was one of Indonesia's top seven trade and investment partners.
Rosan Roeslani, Indonesia's Minister of Investment and Downstream Industry and head of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), said, "Korean investment has helped strengthen Indonesia's industrial capabilities and create jobs for its people," adding, "There are still many opportunities to expand cooperation in future growth areas such as downstream industries, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies." The Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK-CEPA) was also cited as a major foundation for expanding trade, investment and industrial cooperation between the two countries.
People-to-people exchanges between the two countries are also becoming more active. According to Yoon, about 500,000 South Koreans visited Indonesia last year, while about 360,000 Indonesians visited South Korea. Approximately 80,000 Indonesians currently live in South Korea for employment, study and other purposes. The South Korean government continues to support people-to-people exchanges by streamlining visa procedures and expanding educational opportunities. This year, 180 Indonesian students were invited to master's and doctoral programs through a government scholarship program.
Cultural exchanges centered on the Korean Wave are also supporting bilateral ties. Yoon explained that interest in Korean dramas, films, music, food and cosmetics is high in Indonesia. In particular, he noted that young Indonesians are not merely consuming Korean culture but are combining it with their own traditions and reinterpreting it in new ways.
Ambassador Yoon emphasized the importance of developing bilateral relations through cultural and people-to-people exchanges as well as economic and security cooperation, saying, "True partnership begins by bringing the peoples of our two countries closer together."
The event was attended by former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development; Minister Rosan Roeslani; Irfan Yusuf, Minister of Hajj and Umrah; and Sultan Najamudin, chairman of the Regional Representative Council (DPD), along with diplomatic representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia and other countries.
[email protected] Aulia Maulida Hamdani, Correspondent Reporter