RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is looking to expand the reach of its musicians on the global stage, with Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar highlighting collaboration with South Korea as a strategic entry point.

“Partnerships with South Korea can serve as a strong gateway for Indonesian musicians to step up globally. However, such collaborations must be built on balance to ensure long-term benefits for Indonesian talent,” Deputy MinisterIrene said in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday, February 6, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Her remarks followed an audience in Jakarta on Wednesday, February 4, with singer Saniyah and Kevin Hermanto, CEO and Founder of Big Ground Entertainment. She stressed that cross-border cooperation not only opens market access but also strengthens the position of Indonesian musicians while safeguarding copyright protection.

She noted that South Korea’s music industry excels in ecosystem development and licensing, while Indonesia offers a vast market base and large listener community. The synergy between the two countries, she added, could pave the way for mutually beneficial collaborations. 

The Deputy Minister also underlined the importance of creating more platforms for emerging artists through multi-stakeholder partnerships to support career sustainability.

Discussions also touched on stage-based talent development and stronger protection of Indonesian musicians’ intellectual property rights.

Kevin Hermanto introduced the Veiled Cup, a talent search format designed to uphold fairness. In this competition, participants’ visual identities are concealed, ensuring judges evaluate purely on vocal quality. 

“Through the veil concept, judges only listen to the voice without knowing the participant’s identity. In fact, judges and contestants are not even in the same room. This is to guarantee a fair process,” Kevin explained.

The success of the Veiled Cup has led to further opportunities for winners, including collaborations between Indonesian and South Korean musicians in song production and joint songwriting, initiatives aligned with government efforts to elevate local talent internationally.

Saniyah herself exemplifies this potential, having achieved recognition in Asia’s Got Talent 2019 and participating in the Veiled Cup in South Korea, showcasing how Indonesian musicians can compete on the global stage.

The audience is expected to mark an initial step in developing Indonesian music talent, with the government pledging to provide platforms that enable local musicians to collaborate globally and thrive internationally. ***