President Park Geun-hye granted former Indonesian leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, the highest medal that the government can bestow on a foreigner, on November 19 at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.

“I’d like to congratulate the former Indonesian president on his appointment as the chairman of the Council of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI),” said President Park during the ceremony.

“I’d also like to express my sincere gratitude for his five visits to Korea during his tenure and for his contribution to boosting bilateral ties between Korea and Indonesia, including the establishment of the Korea-Indonesia strategic partnership in 2006,” she added.

The president continued to say that, “I am pleased to know that he has continued to keep close ties with our nation even after stepping down.”

In response, the former Indonesian president said, “I want to dedicate this highest medal to my people. I am very happy that the two countries worked closely together for mutual prosperity thanks to strong political will shown by President Park over the course of years when I led my country.”

The close friendship between the two countries will continue to stay strong under the leadership of newly inaugurated President Joko Widodo, he hoped.




“A joint statement was adopted to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Jakarta during my state visit to the country last October. I believe that it has set a new milestone in bilateral ties,” said the president. “Since then, bilateral cooperation on defense has increased significantly, while the two countries have enhanced cooperation in the economic sector too, for example, by allowing Korean banks to make inroads into the Indonesian market,” she added.

Yudhoyono replied, “Such a boost in bilateral cooperation is a good example of cooperation between a developed and a developing country, and has brought benefits to both peoples. In particular, Korean enterprises that have advanced in Indonesian markets will serve as a partner that can help my country further grow. Hopefully, they will help revitalize investment activities and exchanges between businesses of the two countries.”

By Jeon Han, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
hanjeon@korea.kr