President-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo met on Wednesday with diplomats from both South Korea and North Korea in two separate occasions at City Hall.

Jokowi met with South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Cho Tai-young in the morning and later in the day had talks with the newly installed North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-su.

Both countries, according to Jokowi, expressed interest in boosting their bilateral relationships with Indonesia during his administration.

Jokowi said that he and Cho also talked about business, discussing a plan by South Korean electronics giant Samsung to build a factory in Indonesia. '€œDuring the meeting, Mr. Ambassador talked about Samsung'€™s expansion plan in Indonesia. In December [Samsung] will start the construction of its cellular phone plant,'€ Jokowi said, declining to elaborate further.

Jokowi added that they also discussed investments.

'€œWe talked about South Korea'€™s investments in Jakarta and in Indonesia. I told him that we expect investments in the manufacturing industry that could create jobs,'€ he said.

He said Cho told him South Korea was keen on pursuing infrastructure projects in Indonesia. '€œThe South Korean government aims to continue cooperating to develop rural areas and also the giant sea wall,'€ he said.

The giant sea wall, which will be built off Jakarta'€™s coast, is expected to curb floods in the North Jakarta area, most parts of which are vulnerable to flooding as they are below sea level.

Meanwhile, Ri said that North Korea expected to boost its bilateral relationship with Indonesia in the future.

'€œ[North] Korea and Indonesia have a long history. We expect to keep strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries,'€ he said.

Jokowi said that North Korea sought to improve relations in the economy, culture and sports.

He also said the foreign minister conveyed a message from North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, inviting Jokowi to visit the country.

Prior to meeting Jokowi, Ri paid a courtesy call to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

According to Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who joined the meeting, his counterpart, who was only sworn in in April, came to introduce himself to Yudhoyono.

Marty said Yudhoyono and Ri also expressed appreciation on the good ties between the two countries.

'€œNorth Korea hoped the two countries would establish cooperation to develop energy-saving technology, of which North Korea actually has [developed] various forms,'€ Marty told reporters after the meeting.

North Korea and Indonesia have maintained friendly relations since the mid-1960s, when North Korea founder Kim Il-sung visited Jakarta.

Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which nominated Jokowi for the July 9 presidential election, was reported to have had a close relationship with Kim Jong-il.

When asked if the tension in the Korean peninsula was discussed in the meeting, Marty said: '€œThe President mentioned, in general, that Indonesia and North Korea should be able to prioritize peaceful measures in resolving potential conflicts.'€

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