South Korea and Indonesia elevated their bilateral relationship to a special comprehensive strategic partnership on Wednesday. This strategic partnership represents the first such relationship for both countries. President Lee Jae Myung hosted Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for his first state visit to Seoul. The two leaders held their third summit at Cheong Wa Dae during Prabowo’s visit.
The two countries formed a special strategic partnership in 2017. They had previously upgraded from a strategic partnership established in 2006 after forging diplomatic ties in 1973. This latest elevation marks a significant deepening of their bilateral ties. The upgrade aims to promote substantive strengthening of cooperation in trade, investment, defense, and defense industry cooperation.
Senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung explained that the upgrade also seeks to expand cooperation in new growth sectors. These include advanced technologies such as AI, infrastructure, shipbuilding, nuclear power, energy transition, and cultural and creative industries. This strategic partnership now encompasses a broader range of sectors than ever before.
Following the summit, Seoul and Jakarta issued a joint statement on the special comprehensive strategic partnership. The two leaders tasked their foreign ministers with establishing a new bilateral strategic dialogue mechanism. They will call it the special comprehensive strategic dialogue to coordinate and oversee cooperation across various fields. The leaders committed to convening this dialogue annually.
The joint statement expressed strong commitment to enhancing cooperation in strategic economic sectors. These sectors contribute to mutual economic growth and long-term development of both countries. They include advanced manufacturing, automobiles including EVs and the battery ecosystem, steel, machinery, semiconductors, critical minerals and rare earth elements, and shipbuilding and maritime industries.
Seoul and Jakarta revised the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Critical Mineral Partnership. This revision aims to establish an institutional framework for strengthening supply chain cooperation. Indonesia holds abundant reserves of key minerals essential for South Korea’s strategic industries. Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of nickel and the second-largest producer of cobalt. Therefore, this strategic partnership secures critical supply chains for South Korea’s secondary battery industry.
The two leaders also resolved to actively identify and advance concrete cooperative projects in the shipbuilding sector. Additionally, Seoul and Jakarta newly signed or updated 16 memorandums of understanding. These agreements institutionalize cooperation across strategic sectors, digital development, AI-based health care, clean energy and carbon capture, intellectual property protection, and strategic financing.
Lee emphasized Indonesia’s role as a stable supplier of key energy resources including LNG and coal during the summit. South Korea is currently making all-out efforts to mitigate energy shocks from the Middle East war. “There is a strong need to further expand cooperation between our two countries on resource security to minimize the impact of this crisis on our economies and the livelihoods of our people,” Lee said.
Prabowo noted that his state visit comes at a time of rising global uncertainty. “That is precisely why I believe relations between Korea and Indonesia are becoming even more important,” he said. “We must continue to deepen and expand our partnership.”
Lee portrayed Indonesia as a long-standing strategic partner for South Korea. Indonesia hosted the country’s first overseas investment in Kalimantan in 1968. It has become a key partner in the defense industry and a growing base for Korean electric vehicle production. Current defense exports include FA-50 light combat aircraft, T-50 trainer jets, and submarines. The two sides are also discussing the supply of 16 KF-21s, South Korea’s first homegrown fighter jets. Hyundai Motor already produces the Ioniq 5 locally in Cikarang, West Java.
This strategic partnership now positions both countries for deeper collaboration across critical sectors. The new framework provides institutional mechanisms for annual high-level dialogue and project coordination. The 16 newly signed or updated MOUs create concrete pathways for implementation. As global uncertainty rises, both leaders view this strengthened relationship as essential for economic security and long-term development. The partnership will likely expand further as both sides identify new areas for cooperation. The special comprehensive strategic dialogue mechanism will ensure sustained attention to implementation.
