South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Chang-Beom talks about cultural diplomacy’s role in strengthening people-to-people interaction as well as empowering the local creative and entertainment industry.

The South Korean cultural wave – known as hallyu – in Indonesia, with the popularity of Korean dramas, pop music, as well as food among Indonesian people, has contributed to an increase of people-to-people interaction between the two countries, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Chang-beom says.

“Many Indonesians and South Koreans connect by talking about K-pop, K-drama and K-cuisine, and many Indonesians are also learning the Korean language so that they can enjoy the dramas and films without having to rely on subtitles. I believe that this cultural diplomacy is the backbone of our country-to-country relationship through cultural exchange to build mutual understanding,” the new ambassador, who was designated on Feb. 8, told The Jakarta Post.

Alternately, Indonesians’ increased interest in South Korean culture has also helped South Koreans in Indonesia interact more with locals, while also becoming more familiar with Indonesian culture through its culinary traditions, according to him.

“Some of them have even learned the Indonesian language and they have formed strong friendships [with locals],” says Kim, who picked up Indonesian while he was assigned to the country for the first time as a political counselor at the Korean Embassy in Indonesia from 2003 to 2005.

As a career foreign service officer, he has served five overseas posts and worked at various positions within the Korean government ever since he joined the Foreign Affairs Ministry in December 1981. His first overseas post was the Korean Embassy in Tokyo, Japan from 1987 to 1990. He served as first secretary at the Korean embassies in Washington DC, the United States (1998-2001) and Islamabad, Pakistan (1993-1995).

From 2012 to 2015, he served in Brussels as Korean ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union. One of his main tasks in Belgium was to assist with the opening of the Korean Cultural Center.

Born in 1960, he earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC in 1986.

Having been away from Indonesia for 13 years, the ambassador admits that, among other things about the country, he has missed local food the most.

“I definitely missed Indonesian food. I like gado-gado (vegetables in peanut sauce), ayam kampung (free-range chicken) and sop buntut (oxtail soup). I also like the skewered grilled meat from Bali with lemongrass […] what do you call it? Sate lilit, yes,” he said.

According to Kim, Koreans are quite OK with Indonesia’s spicy foods, such as cuisine from Padang, West Sumatra, which is known for its versatile blend of spices.

Talking about food, he argues that Indonesians could also promote their cuisine, supported by the country’s excellent hospitality and natural beauty, as a cultural diplomacy asset, just like what South Koreans do with their television dramas and pop music.

“When we talk about cultural diplomacy, every country owns its own distinctive cultural asset. Indonesian people have this friendliness and hospitality that they can be proud of. These things are also complemented by the natural beauty of local destinations such as Bali, Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara as well as Flores in East Nusa Tenggara,” he said.

South Korea has been very successful in its cultural diplomacy thanks to its government’s strong support of popular culture, treating it the way they treat export commodities.

“Korea conducts international language essay contests, as well as K-pop and Korean television program festivals in events that are sometimes financed by the government as well. Through these events, we encourage our creative and entertainment industry to be much more competitive overseas as well,” Kim explains.

The Korean Cultural Trade Commission published a handbook called Hallyu Forever in Korean, a well-researched guide on how to approach world markets, paying attention to the socioeconomic, political and cultural factors of each region.

The country’s government also shows serious support for its cultural diplomacy: a shopping mall in Jakarta, a branch of a Korean department store chain, was officially opened by the South Korean president. The mall embodies a Korean atmosphere, with Korean restaurants and shops all around the place, with portraits of Korean pop idols gracing its walls.

Reflecting on his country’s successful cultural diplomacy, Kim advises Indonesian creative and tourist industry stakeholders to make optimum leverage off cultural assets through various social media platforms to also empower local creative and hospitality workers.

“We are now living in a globalized world and social media platforms like YouTube, for example, have changed the diplomatic environment dramatically. They allow us to make maximum use of these cultural assets,” he says.

People-to-people interaction fostered through cultural diplomacy could translate into economic cooperation as well. According to Kim, with the popularity of several South Korean beauty product brands such as Laneige and The Face Shop in Indonesia, the country’s government has encouraged brands to invest in Indonesia.

“Some investors also show interest in the energy sector. Indonesia’s growth of consumer market has made the country more attractive,” he explains.

Kim has engaged in people-to-people immersions with Indonesians as well; during his downtime, he and his wife like to explore batik and handicrafts shops in Jakarta, especially in Kemang, South Jakarta and Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

“People here don’t recognize us as foreigners; maybe we look more like Chinese-Indonesians. We also know a little bit of Indonesian language,” he says.

He says that his most memorable experience in Indonesia was in 2004, when he coordinated a relief program for the victims of the Aceh tsunami, which occurred on December 26, 2004.

“It was devastating to see the whole area just get banished away and was completely unrecognizable in an instant,” he recounts.

He also had to go through his own cultural adjustment when he first came to Indonesia in 2003.

“South Koreans are normally regarded as always being in a hurry, we have to finish our tasks cepat-cepat [quickly]. In Indonesia, people do their work pelan-pelan [more slowly]. Therefore, we try to find common ground where Indonesians could accelerate [their working pace] and Koreans go a little bit slower when working together,” he says.

This cultural immersion and learning has become the greatest satisfaction of working as a diplomat, Kim says.

“It’s like traveling on a caravan from one exciting place to another to meet diverse people and cultures on the road. You cannot truly experience a culture unless you really connect with the people on the ground,” he says, concluding the interview.

— Agnes Anya contributed to this story.

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