Indonesia and South Korea Strengthen Economic Partnership at 2026 Forum

The Indonesian and South Korean governments held the Korea-Indonesia Economic Partnership Forum 2026 at the Kempinski Ballroom in Jakarta, an effort to strengthen bilateral economic relations which have been elevated to a Special Comprehensive Strategic Partnership this year. The forum was attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Indonesia, Yoon Songu, and the Chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lee Kang Hyun. Also present were Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, Director General of Taxes Bimo Wijayanto, Director of Revenue and Strategic Planning at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise Untung Basuki, as well as several business representatives from Korea. During a keynote speech, the Finance Minister presented an overview of Indonesia’s economic trends and measures to strengthen Indonesia-Korea economic cooperation. These included creating operational certainty, optimising the utilisation of the Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK-CEPA), and collaboration in downstream and future industry sectors. The Finance Minister also highlighted the national economy’s solid performance amid easing global geopolitical dynamics. In a taxation and customs dialogue session, the Director General of Taxes outlined the progress of national tax administration system reforms. Meanwhile, the Director of Revenue and Strategic Planning presented the policy direction for customs and excise, including support for the smooth flow of goods through the Main Partner (MITA) and Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) schemes, logistics digitalisation, and facilitation for micro, small, and medium enterprises. The forum is expected to further strengthen trade and investment relations between Indonesia and Korea, in line with the spirit of the strategic partnership agreed upon by both countries.