Our two nations widen mutual partnership<\/p>\n
On October 3, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
\nfounding of the Republic of Korea.<\/p>\n
As the Korean Ambassador to Indonesia, I wish on this day to
\nextend a warm hand of friendship to the Indonesian people.<\/p>\n
Since Indonesia and Korea opened official relations in 1966,
\nboth countries have maintained a very close and cooperative
\nrelationship in wide-ranging fields of politics, economy, culture
\nand so forth. In particular, the recent years have witnessed that
\nour bilateral economic partnership has made tremendous steps
\nforward, amplifying constructive mutual cooperation and exchanges
\nat various levels.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Korea have already exchanged state visits
\nbetween the Heads of State in the early 1980s. In addition,
\nbilateral fora at the ministerial level on diplomacy, energy and
\nnatural resources have become annual events. There has also been
\nan increasing flow of two-way visits by the government officials
\nas well as by the people in the private sector.<\/p>\n
At ministerial-level cooperation, the two governments have
\nconcluded various agreements, such as the Double Taxation
\nAvoidance Agreement, the Aviation Agreement and the Investment
\nPromotion and Protection Agreement.<\/p>\n
These agreements proved very conducive not only to enhancing
\nour economic relations but also to strengthening further the
\ntraditional ties of friendship between our two nations. In
\nparticular, the conclusion of the Aviation Agreement enabled our
\nnational carriers to make nonstop flights between Seoul and
\nJakarta, thus bridging the geographical gap between our two
\npeoples.<\/p>\n
In addition to such agreements and exchanges of visits that
\nhave obviously made Jakarta and Seoul closer, statistics
\ndemonstrate eloquently how much bilateral economic relations have
\nbeen enhanced in recent years.<\/p>\n
Two-way trade reached a record level of US$7.64 billion in
\n1997. Korea is now the fourth largest importer of Indonesian
\nproducts, and Indonesia has become one of the 10 major trading
\npartners for Korea. Bilateral trade has increased at an
\naccelerated pace in view of the complementary nature and the
\nsubstantial scale of the two economies.<\/p>\n
Since the financial crisis facing both economies began last
\nyear, Korea and Indonesia are doing their best to find ways to
\ncurb the declining bilateral trade volume. For example, the two
\ncountries recently agreed to arrange countertrade between their
\nprivate sectors on the Korean won and Indonesian rupiah currency
\nbasis.<\/p>\n
It was about a decade ago when a small number of Korean
\nbusiness firms took root in Indonesia. Today, there are some 370
\nKorean corporations in operation.<\/p>\n
Investment approval accorded to Korean entrepreneurs was $1.85
\nbillion in 1994, $675 million in 1995, $1.23 billion in 1996 and
\n$1.41 billion in 1997 respectively. Thus, the cumulative approval
\nof Korean investments since 1967 amounts to $10.2 billion, on 479
\nprojects, which ranks Korea as the eighth largest investor
\ncountry in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Aside from trade and investment, the economic cooperation
\nbetween the two countries has taken on a new dimension as Korea
\nhas provided Indonesia with $101.7 million from its Economic
\nDevelopment Cooperation Fund (EDCF) since 1992.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Korea has provided Indonesia with about $10
\nmillion in grant aid and technical cooperation from 1991 to 1998.
\nDuring this period, Korea has invited 281 Indonesian trainees to
\nKorea and has dispatched 23 Korean experts to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
More than 12,000 Indonesians are now working in various
\nindustrial sectors under the Korean government's Technical
\nTrainee Program. Because of their high-quality skills and good
\nwork-ethics, Indonesian workers in Korea are most popular among
\nlocal entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
Since 1990, Korea has dispatched scores of Korean Overseas
\nVolunteers to the Indonesian countryside. These volunteers have
\nprovided the Indonesian young generation with the opportunity to
\nshare development experiences and to further enhance mutual
\nunderstanding and friendship between our younger generations.
\nThis program will continue over the years ahead.<\/p>\n
Undoubtedly, a successful and durable economic cooperation
\nwith another country hinges on mutual understanding and spiritual
\npartnership. This is why we need to redouble our efforts in order
\nto have a better understanding of the cultural background,
\nexpectations and aspirations of other people, in as much as the
\nscope of economic cooperation is broadened and deepened.<\/p>\n
There continues to be a flurry of activity between our
\ncountries to promote the cultural exchanges of our two peoples.
\nThere are increasing exchanges of visits by traditional arts and
\nmusic performance groups each year. Several Indonesian
\nuniversities are accommodating Korean language courses in their
\ncurriculum. A radio program about Korea is being aired twice a
\nweek by the national station RRI. This program introduces Korean
\nculture and language to Indonesia. Recently, as a step forward to
\nmore dynamic exchanges between Indonesian and Korean academics,
\nGadjah Mada University established a Center for Korean Studies
\nand plans to install a Department for Korean Language.<\/p>\n
In 1996, our Embassy began conducting annual essay contests
\nabout Korea. Last year, more than 1,200 Indonesian high school
\nand college students participated from across the nation. Among
\nthem, 20 students were selected and we arranged a trip to Korea
\nfor all of them. Their trip to Korea provided them with a chance
\nto experience Korean culture firsthand.<\/p>\n
This year, we are again holding this essay contest in
\ncooperation with the Department of Education and Culture of
\nIndonesia, private television station RCTI and newspaper daily
\nKompas. The participants are expected to come from all senior
\nhigh schools and universities across Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Korean people's affection and admiration for Indonesian
\ncultural assets is manifested in the rapidly increasing number of
\nKorean tourists flocking mostly to Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali.
\nFor example, tourist arrivals from Korea reached 224,000 in 1996,
\nand 247,000 in 1997. These figures are now facing a sharp decline
\ndue to the economic crisis in Korea, but we are sure of their
\nreturn to the previous levels in the near future. Personal
\ncontacts as such are fostering heart-to-heart communications
\nbetween our two peoples and are consolidating the very foundation
\nof our overall bilateral relations.<\/p>\n
Given the worsening regional economic circumstances, further
\npromotion of the cooperation between our two countries becomes
\nall the more important, and its necessity is being felt more
\nkeenly thank ever before.<\/p>\n
At the dawn of a new millennium, the prospects for our future
\ndestiny are bright. Both our nations are geared up for enormous
\npotentials and we will achieve unprecedented development and
\nprosperity, as soon as our economies have overcome the present
\neconomic difficulties.<\/p>",
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