South Korea-Indonesia ties bolstered through President Moon's New Southern Policy
- 6 years ago
President Moon Jae-in has been pushing his "New Southern Policy," a plan that aims to strengthen Seoul's relations with Southeast Asia to the same level as that with the four major powers around the Korean Peninsula.
Emphasizing cooperation on people, prosperity and peace,... today we look at how this policy is being received by one of the countries in the region: Indonesia.
Our Cha Sang-mi reports from Jakarta.
In November of last year, President Moon Jae-in made a state visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.
Following a successful bilateral summit with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, President Moon vowed to upgrade Seoul's economic and diplomatic ties with Southeast Asian nations as he unveiled his administration's new diplomatic direction dubbed the "New Southern Policy".
"Since President Moon's visit, bilateral relations have been upgraded to a 'Special Strategic Partnership'. This turns our relationship from the level of far-cousin to that of brother."
"The people here tell me there's a saying in Indonesia called 'gotong royong', which means working together to achieve a common goal. And in line with that phrase, the Indonesian government and experts are fostering far-reaching cooperation with countries beyond ASEAN in diverse fields."
The impact of the "New Southern Policy" from the Indonesian side is perfectly reciprocal, according to a local political scientist.
"We will have a better,.. I might say bargaining position to other big partners.... that is to diversify our partnership to other countries. Korea is the foreign country that has less or more clean historic background."
As for economic benefits, a former Indonesian envoy to South Korea says that, with its population of over 260-million, Indonesia can serve as a massive economic market for South Korean businesses, but he pointed out a few things that should be done by the Indonesian government.
"If we are talking about garment or textile, it is 90 percent dominated by Korean companies. But we have a problem in this garment industries and textile because of minimum wage. Minimum wage increases from year to year."
The former diplomat says companies are already considering alternative options for business destinations fearing a sharp on-year increase in Indonesia's wages.
He also expressed hope for further trade agreements involving the country, such as the Trans Pacific Partnership, as such deals would help Seoul and Jakarta broaden their trade reach.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News, Jakarta.
Emphasizing cooperation on people, prosperity and peace,... today we look at how this policy is being received by one of the countries in the region: Indonesia.
Our Cha Sang-mi reports from Jakarta.
In November of last year, President Moon Jae-in made a state visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.
Following a successful bilateral summit with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, President Moon vowed to upgrade Seoul's economic and diplomatic ties with Southeast Asian nations as he unveiled his administration's new diplomatic direction dubbed the "New Southern Policy".
"Since President Moon's visit, bilateral relations have been upgraded to a 'Special Strategic Partnership'. This turns our relationship from the level of far-cousin to that of brother."
"The people here tell me there's a saying in Indonesia called 'gotong royong', which means working together to achieve a common goal. And in line with that phrase, the Indonesian government and experts are fostering far-reaching cooperation with countries beyond ASEAN in diverse fields."
The impact of the "New Southern Policy" from the Indonesian side is perfectly reciprocal, according to a local political scientist.
"We will have a better,.. I might say bargaining position to other big partners.... that is to diversify our partnership to other countries. Korea is the foreign country that has less or more clean historic background."
As for economic benefits, a former Indonesian envoy to South Korea says that, with its population of over 260-million, Indonesia can serve as a massive economic market for South Korean businesses, but he pointed out a few things that should be done by the Indonesian government.
"If we are talking about garment or textile, it is 90 percent dominated by Korean companies. But we have a problem in this garment industries and textile because of minimum wage. Minimum wage increases from year to year."
The former diplomat says companies are already considering alternative options for business destinations fearing a sharp on-year increase in Indonesia's wages.
He also expressed hope for further trade agreements involving the country, such as the Trans Pacific Partnership, as such deals would help Seoul and Jakarta broaden their trade reach.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News, Jakarta.