It's not only Kimchi and Tae Kwon Do<\/p>\n
K. Basrie, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia is currently home to over 20,000 South Koreans. Ask
\nany locals in the street about Korean, they will immediately point
\ntheir fingers to Mister Kim, Mister Im, Mister Lee or Mister Park,
\nwho work as bosses at factories in Jakarta's suburbs of Tangerang
\nand Bekasi.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have any Pak Im here but we have Mister Im, who's
\nour boss,\" replied a telephone operator at a factory recently.<\/p>\n
Korean Ambassador Kim Jae-Sup put the figures of factories in
\nIndonesia run by his fellow citizens at 600, employing more than
\n200,000 local workers.<\/p>\n
But like other foreigners, not all Koreans run factories here.
\nOthers offer Korean products, from hi-tech to handmade, ship
\nIndonesian goods, teach Tae Kwon Do and the classic tea ceremony
\nand dance, promote Kim chi and other popular Korean dishes,
\ntraditional music and the arts, and sell tourists packages to the
\ncharming peninsula.<\/p>\n
\"I think the Korean community here is the largest foreign
\ncommunity in Indonesia. And we always feel grateful for the
\nopportunity provided by the Indonesian government for their
\nactivities here. And they also much appreciate the favorable
\nguidance of the Indonesian government's policy,\" ambassador Kim
\ntold The Jakarta Post last week.<\/p>\n
Kim Jae Min, secretary general of the Korean Association in
\nIndonesia, explained that Korean nationals and their families
\nhere do not only do things for their own country.<\/p>\n
\"The activities in our association, for example, also help
\npromote Indonesian cultures, customs and historical places to
\nboth visiting Koreans and those living here,\" he said in a
\nseparate interview.<\/p>\n
Sa Gong Kyung, a teacher at the Jakarta International Korean
\nSchool, admitted to having already fallen in love with
\nIndonesia's people, customs and traditions.<\/p>\n
She described her dreams: \"I hope that one day I could write a
\nbook about Indonesian traditions and have my own small museum
\nwhere I could put my photography work on display for visiting
\nKoreans.\"<\/p>\n
Sa has so far held two photo exhibitions on the lives and
\nactivities of Indonesians and their surroundings. The expos were
\nspecially designed for foreign nationals, particularly the Korean
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
Tae Kwon Do instructor Yun You Joong gives the same story.
\nBesides teaching the Korean-of-origin martial art to children of
\nthe Korean community, Yun is also a Tae Kwon Do instructor at the
\nIndonesian Police Academy and Indonesian Sports Council.<\/p>\n
Kim Myung Ji and members from the Wolhwa Cha (Korea Tea
\nCeremony) Association are planning to give free classes to
\nIndonesians in the near future.<\/p>\n
Lee Eun Ae of the Korean Music Association is still planning
\nto hold its next joint concert of Korean and Indonesian artists.<\/p>\n
According to Ambassador Kim, who has been assigned here since
\nlast year, he has repeatedly stressed to Korean nationals here
\nthat they must not fail to respect Indonesia's laws and
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
\"They must do their best to have close and friendly relations
\nwith the Indonesians around them. And I also emphasize that this
\nsort of attitude will help their activities here to succeed. And
\ntheir good relations with locals will also contribute to the good
\nrelations between the two countries,\" Kim said.<\/p>\n
He described Korean-Indonesian bilateral ties as excellent.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, my President and President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nwere to meet in New York while attending the General Assembly
\nthis month (September). But my President decided to cancel his
\nvisit to the U.S. because of the recent terrorist attacks there,\"
\nKim added.<\/p>\n
He is sure that President Kim Dae Jung will soon have a
\nmeeting with Megawati.<\/p>\n
After a significant drop due to the economic crisis that hit
\nthe region, bilateral trade has returned to its normal level.
\nLast year, trade volume reached US$8.8 billion in favor of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
So far, total investment from South Korean in Indonesia has
\nreached $100 million.<\/p>\n
Disputes at factories cannot be avoided, the ambassador said,
\nbut Korean investors strongly believe that they can go on with
\ntheir business with the help of the Indonesian government because
\ntheir activities contribute to Indonesia's economic development.<\/p>\n
Kim said Indonesia, especially Bali, has now become one of the
\nmost favorite destinations for Korean tourists. \"Last year, the
\nnumber of Korean tourists was 60,000.\"<\/p>\n
Korea and Indonesia still have ample room to boost relations.
\nHe named exchange schemes of businesspeople, government officials
\nand students as important examples.<\/p>\n
\"I think we must identify possible and desirable areas for the
\nexpansion of relations. And both governments must find support
\nand help that can be extended to businesspeople or other
\nindividuals in their efforts to enhance relations between the two
\ncountries.\"<\/p>\n
Korea, he said, vowed to continue developing and strengthening
\nthe existing bilateral relations, which started in 1966.<\/p>\n
Not only because of its significant role in the international
\narena, but also because Indonesia is pursuing democracy and
\neconomic competitiveness, Kim said.<\/p>\n
\"I feel always grateful for the deep understanding and good
\nimpression which the Indonesian people show toward Korea and its
\npeople.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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