Korean Country

The Jakarta Post   |  Fri, 03/28/2008 2:37 PM  |  Center Piece

Different suburbs of Jakarta have evolved into enclaves of particular expat groups. For the capital’s large Korean population, a tree-lined corner of South Jakarta holds reminders of home. Maggie Tiojakin reports.

An yung ha say oh,” the tall, middle-aged Korean man says as a greeting from behind the counter at his family owned novelty store in Kebayoran Baru.

The store sells Indonesian traditional items as well as Korean products, such as tea, ginseng, mineral water and health supplements. The owner, who introduces himself as Dong, left Seoul for Jakarta in his 20s. He speaks a little Indonesian, just about enough to interact with the locals.

It is all that is really needed in so-called “Little Korea”, a favorite haunt of Jakarta’s approximately 30,000 Korean nationals, which made the Indonesian capital the 12th most popular destination for overseas Koreans, according to 2006 data from the Korean National Statistics Office.

Driving through Senopati district in South Jakarta, all the way from Jl. Santa to Jl. Senayan, there is a long line of beauty salons, restaurants, karaoke lounges, golf stores and video rental shops, most run by Korean expatriates for their compatriots.

“Jakarta is a wonderful city,” says Kim-Ji Soon at his small bread shop on Jl. Santa one Saturday afternoon. “I brought my wife and kids here 10 years ago, because I heard good things about it. The atmosphere is very different from Seoul, but you can easily meet a fellow Korean here so you don’t feel alone.”

Lippo Karawaci in Tangerang has also gained a reputation as a “Korean village”, with reportedly 80 percent of retail establishments owned by Koreans. Kelapa Gading has also experienced a surge in Korean restaurants and entertainment venues.

The largest International Korean School in all of Southeast Asia was established in 1975 in East Jakarta, with enrollment of 1,200 students last year. And Pulomas, North Jakarta, will be home to the world’s first planned Korea Town.

A survey by South Korea’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry in 2005 determined that the distribution of Koreans throughout Indonesia is mostly based on professional compatibility.
In Lippo Karawaci and Kebayoran Baru, for instance, Korean expatriates mostly earn a living by running shops, restaurants or beauty salons. In Tangerang, they are involved in shoe manufacturing, while in Bekasi they work in the electronics sector.

“I have been running this school for 11 years,” says Chin-Hwa Yeoun, who owns a martial arts school that teaches tae kwon do in Tangerang. “So far, the percentage of Korean students who enroll in my classes is significantly less than the locals. Even from the beginning, Indonesians were already familiar with the concept of this type of martial art.”

Other schools teach Korean sword-fighting, called Hai Dong Gumdo. Its Indonesian headquarters is located in Senopati district, just a block from Mu Gung Hwa, a grocery store where Korean expatriates go for products from home.

“My children love this,” says a customer as she picks up a packet of Korean
chocolate-covered corn puffs. “I can’t get this anywhere else in the city.”

Koreans in Indonesia do not seem to pine for home. For them, the distance between Jakarta and Seoul is easily bridged by the conveniences in their new home.

“Leave Indonesia?” Dong raises his eyebrows in surprise when asked if he will return to his homeland anytime soon, then quickly shakes his head. “I’ve no reason to.”

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.