By Sohn JiAe

President Moon Jae-in spoke over the phone with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on May 25. During the talk, the two leaders affirmed their commitment to bilateral ties.

“President Moon said that it’s great that both countries have continued to develop bilateral exchanges and cooperation since the establishment of their strategic partnership in 2006,” said Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Soo-hyun in a briefing to the press.

“We are official strategic partners,” said President Moon. “I hope that we will continue to work together to bring to a new level our relationship with Indonesia, a leading country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).”

The president also mentioned the recent terrorist attack that took place at a bus terminal in eastern Jakarta on May 24, saying, “My heart and deep condolences are with those victims, as well as with their families, after the terrible bomb attack that claimed so many innocent lives. The Korean government is determined to eradicate terrorism and we strongly support the Indonesian government’s efforts to work toward this end,” he said.



“Both countries have recently tried to find areas of cooperation across the defense sector, such as a joint project to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft. Hopefully, mutual cooperation on this field will take a leap forward, said the Korean president. “I look forward to meeting you soon at multilateral summits, including at the upcoming G20 meeting, and at the APEC and ASEAN talks,” he said.

In response, the Indonesian president said, “Your inauguration as Korean president will bring a breath of fresh air to democracy across the nation, and also to peace and prosperity across the Korean Peninsula as a whole. I reaffirm my commitment to further enhancing bilateral cooperation between our two countries. I also would say that Indonesia is a great strategic partner for Korea.”

jiae5853@korea.kr