Indonesia-South Korea Partner to Build Smart City in IKN

RRI.CO.ID, Penajam Paser Utara - Indonesia and South Korea have finalized a major bilateral partnership to build the Smart City Cooperation Center (SCCC) within the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) administrative zone, straddling Penajam Paser Utara and Kutai Kartanegara regencies in East Kalimantan.

The joint venture establishes a specialized command and development center to integrate South Korea's advanced urban technologies directly into the foundational infrastructure of Indonesia’s new capital city.

Head of the IKN Authority, Basuki Hadimuljono, confirmed the strategic project during a media briefing in Sepaku, Penajam Paser Utara, on Friday, June 19, 2026. He noted that the SCCC serves as a vital blueprint for future city logistics, acting as an educational hub and an entry point for cutting-edge urban hardware.

"Indonesia and South Korea are collaborating to build the Smart City Cooperation Center (SCCC) in IKN. It is hoped that the SCCC can become the center of Indonesia-South Korea smart city collaboration," he said, as quoted by Antara.

The construction of the SCCC facility is funded via an international cooperation grant totaling 9.9 billion South Korean Won (KRW), equivalent to approximately IDR 115.94 billion. Out of this total grant pool, 5.5 billion KRW (around IDR 64.41 billion) has been explicitly earmarked for physical construction.

Covering 1,098 square meters, the two-story center will include a municipal command center and conference rooms on the first floor. The second floor will accommodate technology showrooms and an AI-Robotics Laboratory, complemented by outdoor smart farming facilities showcasing automated agricultural systems.

According to the IKN Authority, physical structural work is projected to span ten months, with a final completion target set for late 2027.

Beyond the construction of physical command centers, the South Korean grant includes long-term planning support. The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) will lead the draft compilation of the Nusantara Smart City Masterplan and the Smart Building Protocol.

Concurrently, the University of Seoul will oversee the establishment of the Nusantara Smart City Forum and a series of dedicated Capacity Building Programs to train Indonesian engineers.

The Director of the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MoLIT), Choi Jung-won, emphasized that the ultimate goal of the SCCC is to establish a seamless, long-term technical bridge between the two G20 nations.

South Korea intends to use its experience building Sejong City, its own purpose-built smart administrative capital, as a structural reference point to ensure IKN achieves maximum efficiency in smart traffic management, green energy distribution, and public safety.

The collaboration positions the new capital city at the forefront of regional urban innovation, transforming IKN into a premier testing ground for sustainable, AI-driven public infrastructure in Southeast Asia. ***