Accelerate Strategic Partnership, Indonesia and South Korea Strengthen Maritime Industry Cooperation

JAKARTA - The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Sugiono, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea, Cho Hyun, agreed to accelerate the implementation of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

The agreement was reached in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting/Post Ministerial Conferences (AMM/PMC) in Manila, Philippines.

"Indonesia is ready to continue to work closely with the Republic of Korea to produce concrete cooperation," said Sugiono in a written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sunday (26/7/2026).

Focus on Defense, Energy, and Investment Sectors

In addition to following up on the visit of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to South Korea last April, the two foreign ministers agreed to accelerate the commitments that had been planned by the leaders of the two countries.

The strengthening of cooperation is focused on three main sectors, namely defense, energy, and investment.

In particular, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun emphasized the commitment of the South Korean government to encourage investment by South Korean companies in the construction of shipyards in Indonesia.

This step is expected to support the manufacture of large and medium-sized commercial vessels, as well as strengthening the competitiveness of the national maritime industry.

Global Issues: The Situation in Iran and the Korean Peninsula

During the meeting, the two senior diplomats also exchanged views on the dynamics of regional and global issues, including the current situation in Iran and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun publicly expressed his appreciation and support for Indonesia to continue to play a constructive role in encouraging de-escalation and peaceful resolution of the conflict in Iran.

Not only that, strengthening the system of multilateralism and the rule-based international order (rule-based order) is also an important point discussed by both parties.

This bilateral meeting reflects the strong commitment of Indonesia and South Korea to continue to strengthen substantive partnerships to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.