Youth Volunteer Synergy in South Rawabadak Close People-to-People Contacts between Indonesia and South Korea

Happy Move Global Youth Volunteer. (Fauzi/VOI)

JAKARTA - The synergy involving 69 volunteers to work on various activities that are beneficial to the community to cross-cultural learning is clearly illustrated in the "Happy Move Global Youth Volunteer" held in South Rawabadak, Koja, North Jakarta.

Held on August 8-14, 2026, a total of 59 participants from South Korea (South Korea) and 10 participants from Indonesia, collaborated in activities initiated by Hyundai Motor Group, Plan Indonesia, and Plan Korea.

This is a youth exchange and volunteering program that brings together young people from both countries to learn cross-culturally while contributing to the community in Indonesia.

During the activity, the young generations of the two countries got a space to develop leadership, cooperation, solidarity, and social responsibility through direct experience with the community.

Minister & Consul General of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea Chung Hae Kwan, appreciated the implementation of Happy Move as a space for young South Koreans and Indonesians to build relationships, expand cross-cultural understanding, and contribute directly to society.

"Happy Move is also building a bridge between young South Koreans and Indonesians. Through the experience of studying and working together, we hope that the participants can understand each other better, build friendships, and bring this spirit of collaboration into the future," he explained, Friday (14/8).

"We also hope that the contributions made during the program can provide real benefits to the community," he concluded.

During the program, young volunteers were involved in various community-based activities, including revitalization of the school environment, development of sports areas, urban farming and compost management, learning about waste and climate resilience, revitalization of libraries and playgrounds, as well as cultural exchange activities.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Plan Indonesia, Dini Widiastuti, said Happy Happy Move is a tangible form of involving young people meaningfully.

According to him, this is an important part of Plan Indonesia's efforts to encourage the birth of a generation that is capable of becoming agents of change.

"Young people have the capacity and perspective that are important to be part of the solution. Through Happy Move, we want to create a space for South Korean and Indonesian young people to learn from each other, work together, and experience firsthand how their contributions can benefit the community," said Dini.

He added that cross-cultural exchanges also provide opportunities for young people to see social issues from a broader perspective.

"When young people meet with peers from different backgrounds, they learn that every community has different challenges and perspectives. From this process, empathy, collaboration, and awareness grow that we have a shared responsibility to create better change," he added.

A similar thing was conveyed by Senior Manager of Grants and Program Plan Korea Park Sangyoung. According to him, Happy Move is an opportunity to strengthen the solidarity of young people through learning experiences and joint contributions.

"We hope that Happy Move does not stop as a cultural exchange program. We want the participants to return with new perspectives, experience working with the community, and a stronger understanding that young people from various countries can learn from each other and collaborate to create a positive impact," he said.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motors Indonesia Chief Operating Officer Fransiscus Soerjopranoto said that the involvement of young people in social activities is an important part of building relationships and sustainable contributions to society.

"Through Happy Move, we want to give young people the opportunity to learn, collaborate, and contribute directly to the community. We believe that experiences like this can build a sense of social responsibility while expanding the perspective of young generations on the world around them," he said.

One of the participants of Happy Move from South Korea said that the experience of being a volunteer in Indonesia made him see that cultural differences were not an obstacle to working together.

"It is precisely from this experience that I learned that change can begin with simple things when we want to be involved and move together," he said.

A similar thing was conveyed by one of the participants from Indonesia who said Happy Move gave him a new experience as a volunteer as well as the opportunity to learn from friends from South Korea.

"For me, this experience shows that volunteering means learning, building relationships, and growing together," he concluded.