Special envoys from Seoul meet Prabowo, vow closer bilateral ties

ㅁㄴㅇㄹㄴㅁㅇㄹ — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (right) reads a letter from President Lee Jae-myung during a meeting with special envoys of South Korean lawmakers at his residence in Bogor, Indonesia, on Aug. 14, 2025. Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

SEOUL, August 15 (AJP) - Special envoys sent to Jakarta this week pledged their readiness to enhance ties with Indonesia after talks with President Prabowo Subianto and senior officials, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

Led by Cho Jeong-sik of the ruling Democratic Party, a handful group of lawmakers arrived in Jakarta on Monday for a four-day trip as part of President Lee Jae-myung’s broader diplomatic outreach to key Asian partners since taking office in early June.

On Thursday, the group met Prabowo at his residence in Bogor, south of Jakarta. Discussions focused on boosting collaboration in high-tech and strategic industries while securing stronger support for South Korean businesses in Indonesia. They also delivered a letter from Lee outlining Seoul’s commitment to broadening cooperation across various sectors.

Prabowo said he hoped to work with Lee to bring ties to "the highest level" and pledged closer cooperation.

During the visit, the group also met senior officials in Jakarta, including Foreign Minister Sugiono, to present Seoul’s foreign policy priorities and explore ways to expand exchanges. They also met with Korean residents and toured the first battery cell plant that South Korea has built in Indonesia, built jointly by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.

Im Yoon-seo lyseo0330@ajupress.com