Indonesian Floriculture Attracts Strong Interest in South Korea

RRI.CO.ID, Goyang - Indonesia’s endemic ornamental plants and exotic foliage are drawing strong interest in the South Korean market.

The International Horticulture Goyang Korea exhibition in Goyang, South Korea, recorded potential transactions worth IDR 17.05 billion (approx. USD 1.1 million) for products such as tuberose, chrysanthemum, and rose. The peak of the exhibition took place on April 24–26, 2026, at Goyang Special City Ilsan Lake Park.

The Indonesian Pavilion featured eleven farmers mentored by the Indonesian Flower Association (ASBINDO), who showcased endemic plants including labisia, alocasia, and aglaonema, as well as plants cultivated using tissue culture techniques.

The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul facilitated the participation in collaboration with the Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in Busan to expand Indonesia’s floriculture exports to South Korea.

Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea, Cecep Herawan, welcomed ASBINDO’s participation, noting the strong potential of the South Korean floriculture market. “The floriculture market in South Korea is quite substantial, particularly for cut flowers,” Cecep said in his remarks, as quoted on the Ministry of Trade’s official website on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Beyond the exhibition, the Embassy and ITPC Busan also arranged business-matching sessions between Indonesian businesses and South Korean importers to accelerate export opportunities for ornamental plants and cut flowers.

The initiative included ASBINDO members and floriculture companies participating in the Horticulture Business Trip organized by the Indonesian Horticulture Professionals Association (PPHI).

Head of ITPC Busan, Husodo Kuncoro Yakti, emphasized the strong interest in Indonesian floriculture from the South Korean market. “The potential transaction volume achieved during this year’s International Horticulture Goyang event shows that Indonesian floriculture products have promising prospects in South Korea. ITPC Busan will follow up on these opportunities, building on our cooperation with Goyang Special City, which began with coffee promotion in 2025,” he said.

ASBINDO’s Coordinator for Certification and Competency, Virginanty, expressed her enthusiasm. “We are delighted to collaborate with ITPC Busan to promote Indonesian ornamental plants and cut flowers in South Korea. The beauty of flowers and plants is a universal language. Through this collaboration, we are confident that Indonesian floriculture products will become increasingly recognized, sought after, and cherished by South Korean consumers,” she said.

Indonesia–South Korea Trade Snapshot

Trade between Indonesia and South Korea reached USD 4.27 billion in January–March 2026, with Indonesia recording a surplus of USD 411.70 million (exports of USD 2.34 billion, imports of USD 1.93 billion). In 2025, total trade stood at USD 18.04 billion, with a surplus of USD 2.25 billion (exports of USD 10.14 billion, imports of USD 7.90 billion).

Exports of Indonesian horticultural products, including cut flowers and ornamental plants, are increasingly promising, driven by South Korea’s “pet-plant” trend and home-gardening lifestyle.

In 2025, South Korea’s imports from Indonesia reached USD 1.1 million. Indonesian tropical flower varieties and exotic ornamental plants are highly sought after by Korean collectors, as they are difficult to find in a country with four distinct seasons. ***