The diplomatic meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and South\nKorean President Lee Jae Myung was not only marked by serious\ndiscussions but also by warm moments that captured attention. Amid the\nofficial agenda, the two appeared friendly through the \u2018finger heart\u2019\ngesture and casual interactions dubbed \u2018anabul\u2019 diplomacy.<\/p>\n
The meeting between Prabowo and President Lee took place on Wednesday\n(1\/3\/2026) at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Korea, Cheong\nWa Dae (Blue House). The encounter began with a state welcoming ceremony\nfor Prabowo, followed by bilateral talks and a lunch banquet.<\/p>\n
During the lunch banquet, Carmen, a member of the Indonesian K-pop\ngroup Hearts2Hearts, was present. This drew the attention of Prabowo and\nPresident Lee. The three then posed for a photo together, compactly\nmaking the finger heart symbol, a pose used by K-pop idols for their\nfans.<\/p>\n
Carmen, whose full name is Nyoman Ayu Carmenita, is the first\nIndonesian citizen to debut under SM Entertainment, one of South Korea\u2019s\nlargest entertainment agencies.<\/p>\n
Another attention-grabbing moment occurred when Prabowo gave a gift\nto President Lee. This happened during a casual chat at a Friendship\nEvent in the Garden of Sangchungjae, still within the South Korean\nPresidential Palace complex.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Prabowo presented several flagship Indonesian SME\ncrafts, including a Balinese keris and characteristic East Javanese\nceramic vase. The gifts reflect Indonesia\u2019s cultural richness while\nembodying creative economic diplomacy to introduce local products to the\ninternational world.<\/p>\n
In addition, Prabowo gave a gift to President Lee\u2019s pet dog. Prabowo\npresented a scarf and necklace to the dog, which turns out to be named\nBobby, similar to the name of his own pet cat.<\/p>\n
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya stated that Prabowo\u2019s diplomatic\napproach is not solely for relations between the two countries but also\ntouches on personal closeness.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiplomacy is not just meetings and official agendas, but how\npersonal relationships between leaders can be established and leave a\ngood impression in the heart,\u201d said Cabinet Sec. Teddy.<\/p>\n
At the same time, President Lee bestowed the highest honour upon\nPrabowo, namely the \u2018Grand Order of Mugunghwa\u2019, presented directly. The\nGrand Order of Mugunghwa is the Republic of Korea\u2019s highest national\naward, specifically given to the President of the Republic of Korea and\nspouse, as well as heads of state or former heads of state from friendly\ncountries and their spouses. This award is given for extraordinary\nservices in supporting the development and security of the Republic of\nKorea.<\/p>\n
On that occasion, the Government of the Republic of Korea awarded the\nhonour to President Prabowo as a form of appreciation for his\ncontributions and role in strengthening bilateral relations between\nIndonesia and the Republic of Korea, including elevating the partnership\nstatus of the two countries to a Special Comprehensive Strategic\nPartnership.<\/p>\n
During the visit to South Korea, Prabowo and Lee agreed to enhance\nbilateral cooperation through a special comprehensive strategic\npartnership, with Indonesia becoming the only country in the world to\nhave such a partnership with South Korea.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Prabowo witnessed the announcement and exchange of 10\nmemorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Indonesia and South Korea.\nIn those agreements, Prabowo brought home investments worth $10.2\nbillion or approximately Rp173 trillion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the meeting, MoUs worth $10.2 billion or about Rp173 trillion\nwere signed,\u201d said Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga\nHartarto.<\/p>\n
Airlangga explained that the cooperation covers various strategic\nsectors, including energy and green transition, such as solar power,\ncarbon capture and storage (CCS), and renewable energy. Additionally,\nthe cooperation includes the industrial and manufacturing sectors like\nsteel, batteries, and eco-friendly transportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe investments also include the digital and AI sectors. Then\nproperty and infrastructure, including development in Bumi Serpong\nDamai, and business and association cooperation between Kadin and KCCI,\nespecially to encourage business commitments,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Airlangga mentioned that several major Korean companies are\nstrengthening their investment commitments in Indonesia, including\nPOSCO\u2019s steel industry development and Lotte\u2019s investment interest,\nwhich opens opportunities for collaboration with Danantara as an\ninvestment partner.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/moments-between-prabowo-and-the-south-korean-president-from-finger-heart-to-anabul-diplomacy-1775181081", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }