In South Korea, Minister Of Culture Fadli Zon Builds Cultural Networks Through House Of Indonesia And Joint Research

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon gave souvenirs to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST), HE Chae Hwi-young. (IST)

JAKARTA - In the context of a state visit to the Republic of Korea, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST), HE Chae Hwi-young. This meeting took place in Gyeongju, as part of a series of activities ahead of APEC High-Level Dialogue on Cultural and Creative Industries 2025 which was held in the historic city.

This strategic meeting marks the commitment of the two countries to continue to deepen cooperation in the cultural field, especially in strengthening Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), as well as exchange of arts and cultural heritage. Menbud Fadli and Minister Chae Hwi-young discussed various strategic initiatives and follow-up programs that have been and are currently underway, including efforts to expand the network of cross-border cultural collaborations.

One of the main highlights of the discussion between the two is the sustainability of the House of Indonesia program, the result of a partnership between the Ministry of Culture of Indonesia and MCST Korea which was updated on July 28, 2025.

This program aims to strengthen the training and production of cultural content through the establishment of training centers in six regions in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Bali, Jambi, Makassar, Cirebon, and Sikka. The two ministers agreed to ensure that the implementation of this program runs optimally and makes it a sustainable cultural cooperation between countries. We agreed to encourage implementation and ensure the sustainability of this program," said Fadli Zon in a written statement received by VOI.

Not only in the creative industry sector, cooperation was also expanded to the field of preservation of cultural heritage and historical research. During the meeting, Menbud Fadli and Minister Chae discussed opportunities for joint research cooperation on the findings of glass beads from the Silla Dynasty era found in Gyeongju and allegedly came from the archipelago in the 7th century AD. This discovery is the starting point for a wider potential joint project, including the possibility of submitting a non-benar cultural heritage (ICH) to UNESCO collaboratively (joint-research) between Indonesia and Korea.

In addition, Minister Chae also expressed hope for the support of the Indonesian Government for the existence and development of the Korean Cultural Center and the King Sejong Institute. These institutions are expected to be a bridge in strengthening Korean language literacy and cultural understanding in Indonesia, in line with the increasing interest of the Indonesian people in Korean culture.

Present to accompany the Minister of Culture in this bilateral meeting, including the Director General of Diplomacy, Promotion, and Cultural Cooperation, Endah Tjahjani Dwirini Retno Astuti, and the Expert Staff of the Minister for Economics and Industry, Anindita Kusuma.

This bilateral meeting reflects the increasingly close relationship between Indonesia and South Korea in the field of culture. The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the space for cultural dialogue, creating opportunities for creative young people from the two countries, and making culture an inclusive and sustainable diplomatic bridge.