Foreign Ministry Affirms South Korea Remains a Strategic Partner for Indonesia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia affirmed that South Korea continues to be one of the main strategic partners in its foreign policy within the Indo-Pacific region, on Sunday (17 May 2026).
The bilateral relationship between the two countries is considered to have increasingly broad strategic dimensions, as reported by Investor Daily. The sectors covered include economy, defence industry, and strengthening regional stability.
This strengthened cooperation was conveyed by the Director General of Asia Pacific and Africa at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Santo Darmosumarto, in Jakarta. South Korea is seen as having developed into a special strategic partner for Indonesia, supported by strong historical ties.
“South Korea has always been a strategic country for Indonesia. Not only because of investment and trade, but also due to historical cooperation, including experiences in democratisation, governance, and learning about the development of a new capital city,” said Santo Darmosumarto, Director General of Asia Pacific and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This statement was made during the socialisation of the Indonesia Strategic and Defence Studies (ISDS) writing competition. The event focuses on the strategic partnership between the two countries in 2026 in the fields of defence, artificial intelligence, and human resource development.
In the regional geopolitical architecture, Indonesia and South Korea are seen as having similar positions as middle powers. Together with Australia, the two countries once joined the KIA cooperation concept to maintain regional stability.
“Middle power countries can be a driving force for regional cooperation as well as a balancing factor amidst the dynamics of major powers such as the United States, China, and Japan,” explained Santo Darmosumarto, Director General of Asia Pacific and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The direction of diplomacy towards South Korea is confirmed not to have changed after President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Seoul some time ago. The government ensures that the country remains a top priority in economic and strategic diplomacy.
“The President’s visit sent a very clear signal that South Korea remains an important destination for Indonesia, both in terms of investment, trade, industrialisation, and defence cooperation,” said Santo Darmosumarto, Director General of Asia Pacific and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
One of the important symbols of defence partnership between the two countries is seen in the joint fighter jet project, the KF-21 Boramae. Santo reminded that Indonesia’s main challenge currently lies in system integration because Indonesia also cooperates with other countries.
“The key is how various collaborations from many sources can become an integrated system that functions as a whole for national defence,” said Santo Darmosumarto, Director General of Asia Pacific and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the era of digital information, human intellectual creativity is considered irreplaceable by artificial intelligence. This strategic thinking is seen as a long-term investment to build national strategic thinking capacity through the implementation of the writing competition.