Indonesia and Korea Boost Strategic Cooperation in Forest Fire Management

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia signed two strategic cooperation documents with the Korea Forest Service (KFS) of the Republic of Korea. The signing was conducted by the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, and the Minister of Forestry of Korea (KFS), Park Eunsik, in Seoul, Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

As quoted by the official website kehutanan.go.id released on 1 April 2026, the signing of the cooperation is a green diplomacy from the series of state visits by President Prabowo Subianto to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Republic of Korea, particularly in promoting strategic cooperation in the forestry sector.

Two cooperation documents have been signed, namely the strategic framework for sustainable forest management and carbon markets to address climate change, and a specific MoU regarding forest fire management. This cooperation includes prevention to post-disaster recovery with the support of satellite technology and strengthening human resource capacity.

In the meeting, the Minister of Forests of Korea (KFS), Park Eunsik, stated that the Ministry of Forests is the most strategic partner for the Korea Forest Service. In fact, the Korean forestry representative abroad is currently only stationed at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Jakarta, which highlights the importance of Indonesia in Korea's forestry cooperation.

"The issue of forest fires has become one of the top priorities of the Korean Government." Currently, the KFS operates 55 units of forest fire-fighting helicopters, supported by 755 personnel," Park Eunsik said.

In response to this, Indonesia's Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, expressed his belief that the cooperation between the Ministry of Forestry and the KFS will provide significant benefits for Indonesia, particularly in enhancing preparedness to face the potential of forest and land fires.

"That cooperation is very relevant, especially in facing the potential El Nino phenomenon, which is projected to occur in June 2026." Technological support, capacity building, and experience sharing from Korea will greatly assist Indonesia in strengthening its forest fire control system," Raja Antoni stated.

Furthermore, both countries agreed to promote the implementation of cooperation thru various forms of activities, including knowledge and technology exchange, joint project development, training and capacity building, as well as strengthening institutional networks thru the Joint Consultation Committee mechanism.