Strengthening 51-Year Relations, Ambassador Lee Welcomes Indonesian Journalists Arrival In South Korea

The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Lee Sang-depok, said that the visit of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) could improve the quality of relations between the two countries which had been going on for 51 years. Ambassador Lee also welcomed the plan to visit the PWI delegation to Korea which will be carried out in the third week of June.

This was conveyed by Ambassador Lee when giving a speech at lunch with the PWI Management and members of the delegation who were leaving at Yewon Restaurant, Jalan Purnawarman, South Jakarta, Tuesday, June 4. Present at the banquet were PWI Chairman Hendry Ch. Bangun, General Chairperson of the Indonesian Cyber Media Network (JMSI) Teguh Santosa, TVRI Commissioner Agus Sudibyo, and PWI Secretary General Sayid Iskandarsyah, as well as several members of the PWI delegation who will depart for Korea.

The lunch season opens with the screening of the song 'Fly Together' created by South Korean diplomat James Lee to welcome 50 years of relations between Indonesia and South Korea last year.

This visit program to South Korea is a collaboration between PWI and the Korean Journalists Association (JAK) which began in 2013 and was initiated by the Head of PWI Foreign Affairs at that time, Teguh Santosa.

Ambassador Lee said, after five decades, relations between Indonesia and South Korea grew in a more convincing direction. In 2017, the two countries increased relations to Special Strategic Partnership.

The trade volume between Indonesia and South Korea increased by 140 times compared to 50 years ago when relations between the two countries began. Meanwhile, in the last decade, investment in South Korean companies in Indonesia has increased by 20 percent. The number of Korean companies operating in Indonesia is around 3,000 companies. In 2023, South Korea was listed as the 6th largest investor in Indonesia. South Korea is the only country investing in key industries such as electric vehicle eco-systems, petro-chemicals, steel, electronics, as well as finance and so on," said Ambassador Lee.

Personally, Ambassador Lee, who has served in many countries, said that the Indonesian nation is the most friendly nation he has met.

"I really feel touched by the friendliness of the Indonesian people, and always feel at home," he said again.

On that occasion, Ambassador Lee also handed over Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi's doll, who is an Indonesian female volleyball player in South Korea. Like South Korean football coach Shin Taeyong, said Ambassador Lee, Megawati is also an icon of the close brotherhood relationship between the two countries.