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Let creativity be the core of Indonesia-Korea relations
The creative economy should not be placed on the sidelines any longer in Indonesia-Korea bilateral relations.
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South Korean girl band Blackpink performs during their concert, titled BLACKPINK BORN PINK, at Gelora Bung Karno sports complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on March 11, 2023. On the first day of the concert, Blackpink performed several hits including “Pink Venom“, “How You Like That“ and “Kill This Love“. (Antara/Rianti)
“If there is one thing that unites us, it is our never-ending creativity. The world salutes the power of individuals to remain creative, to put forward our most thought-provoking ideas and turn those ideas into real events and sellable products,” former Indonesian ambassador to the Republic of Korea Gandi Sulistiyanto said at the opening of the Indonesia Korea Economic Cooperation Forum in Jakarta on Nov. 30, 2023.
Launched by CEO of The Korea Herald, Choi Jin-young, Indonesian Wave/I-Wave and Korean Wave/K-Wave Together for the Future was the main theme of the Indonesia Korea Economic Cooperation Forum at the end of last year, which was convened to mark the golden anniversary of Indonesia and Korea’s diplomatic relations. This was the last of a series of three forums co-hosted by the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul and Korea Herald Media Group.
Over the past five decades, the two countries have enhanced their economic and business partnerships. Trade volume has surged from US$185 million in 1973 to $26 billion in 2022. Cooperation between the two countries has gone from stellar to stellar in the field of trade and investment, from steel to biochemistry.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia in Cikarang in March 2022, the largest Hyundai factory to be built in the region. The factory will strengthen the Indonesian government’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
But where is the ecosystem of the creative industry?
Since the turn of the 21st century, South Korean pop culture has grown in prominence to become a major export driver in entertainment, music, TV dramas and movies, strengthening its soft power and cultural diplomacy in addition to economic gains.
On Netflix, a string of original Korean-produced content such as Squid Game, Under The Queen’s Umbrella and recently premiered Gyeongsong Creatures have become megahits.
