Behind the Hope of Visa-Free Travel to South Korea for Indonesian Tourists

Calls for the South Korean government to implement a full visa-free policy for Indonesian tourists continue to grow. However, behind this hope lies something far more important for Indonesian citizens: maintaining the trust granted by destination countries. This was conveyed by the Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea, Cecep Herawan, during a meeting with journalists from various media outlets at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul in mid-June, as part of The Indonesian Next Generation Journalist Network programme organised by the Korea Foundation in cooperation with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI). Cecep began his explanation by discussing South Korea’s policy of granting visa-free entry for Indonesian group tourists, which took effect on 28 May. One of the requirements is that the group must consist of at least three people. However, shortly after the policy was launched, an unpleasant incident involving Indonesian citizens occurred. Cecep said that an individual Indonesian who arrived with a group absconded shortly after landing at Incheon Airport and became an illegal immigrant. ‘This is a challenge for us,’ Cecep said. Cecep hopes such incidents will not recur in the future. According to him, if Indonesian citizens can comply with the applicable regulations, the South Korean government’s trust will grow stronger. Consequently, the opportunity for Indonesia to obtain a full visa-free policy will become more open. ‘If we jointly safeguard that, it will make it easier not only for travel to Korea in the future, but also for Indonesian citizens to visit other friendly countries freely, without difficulty, and without a lengthy process,’ Cecep said. Cecep noted that there are currently around 86,000 Indonesian citizens residing in South Korea. He emphasised that this Indonesian community forms an important part of bilateral relations with Korea. ‘The contribution of the diaspora, migrant workers, students, and the Indonesian community is actually one of the strong foundations of our people-to-people relations,’ Cecep stated. On a separate occasion, the Chairman of the South Korea-Indonesia National Assembly Friendship Committee, Gi-hyeon Kim, explained that relations between Korea and Indonesia have been close for a long time. The relationship between the two countries is also strengthened through various people-to-people exchange programmes, one of which is The Indonesian Next Generation Journalist Network. Additionally, Gi-hyeon spoke about President Prabowo Subianto’s state visit to South Korea some time ago. He had the opportunity to meet Prabowo directly during his visit to the South Korean Presidential Palace. ‘Because of that, I feel I have a special bond with Indonesia,’ he said. Gi-hyeon understands Indonesia’s interest in various future industry sectors. He assured that South Korea is ready to be an important partner for Indonesia to develop together. ‘I can say with confidence that South Korea will be the most cooperative partner and a country that can help Indonesia gain the greatest economic benefits,’ he said. He stated that cooperation between the two countries will drive mutually beneficial growth through increased investment, talent development, and technology transfer. ‘In this regard, I hope there will be more opportunities for economic investment, technology transfer, and human resource development between Indonesia and Korea,’ he said.