Indonesia-South Korea Trace the Path to Independence through Archives and Photos

Fadli Zon said archives, photos, documents, and manuscripts are important evidence in reading the journey of a nation. (IST)

JAKARTA - The traces of the Indonesian and South Korean independence struggles meet in one room in Jakarta. The Indonesian Proclamation Archive is displayed together with the documentation of Kim Koo's struggle, an important figure in South Korea's independence.

The historical connection was displayed in the photography exhibition My Wish, Our Wish: Road to Freedom at the ANTARA Heritage Center, Pasar Baru, Jakarta, which was opened by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, Wednesday, August 12.

The exhibition was held by the Korean Cultural Center Indonesia or KCCI together with the National News Agency ANTARA. This activity also commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Kim Koo.

The traces of Kim Koo's struggle are part of a documentary heritage recognized in the UNESCO Memory of the World program. The exhibition also features photos and archives of the Indonesian Independence Proclamation.

Fadli said archives, photos, documents, and manuscripts are important evidence in reading the journey of a nation.

"Every nation certainly wants its people to be free. Kim Koo is a figure of independence from South Korea. For us, there is Bung Karno and Bung Hatta, the proclaimer who proclaimed Indonesia's independence in 1945," said Fadli.

According to Fadli, historical documentation not only records events, but also allows the next generation to know what happened in the past.

"If there is no news and information dissemination, there is no evidence of proclamation," he said.

Deputy Ambassador of South Korea to Indonesia Chung Hae-Kwan said Indonesia and Korea have a common history in the struggle for independence.

According to Chung, the selection of the ANTARA Building as the exhibition location has a special meaning because the place is related to the dissemination of the Indonesian Independence Proclamation news.

"The selection of the exhibition location at the ANTARA Building, which is one of the historical heritage sites of the proclamation of Indonesian independence, is a very meaningful thing for Korea and Indonesia," said Chung.

He hopes that the exhibition will give the younger generation of the two countries the opportunity to get to know the struggles of their predecessors.

On this occasion, Fadli also encouraged the ANTARA Heritage Center to be designated as a national cultural heritage. This status is considered to strengthen the protection and maintenance of buildings that are related to the history of broadcasting the news of the Proclamation.

The exhibition My Wish, Our Wish: Road to Freedom is open to the public from 13-31 August 2026 at the ANTARA Heritage Center, Jalan Antara, Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta.