Indonesia Highlights Great Potential for ASEAN-Korea Cooperation

RRI.CO.ID, Pasay City – Indonesia's Vice Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, attended the 23rd ASEAN-Republic of Korea (AEM-ROK) Consultation Meeting. The meeting took place in Pasay City, the Philippines, on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

Indonesia is pushing for broader collaboration to foster closer economic ties between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea. Vice Minister Roro also expressed appreciation for the hard work of the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Area (AKFTA) Upgrade Joint Committee and relevant sectoral bodies.

According to Roro, numerous sectors remain open for exploration by both sides. She said the creative economy holds particularly massive potential.

"There are many sectors we can explore that hold tremendous potential. For instance, the creative economy and how this sector significantly contributes to economic growth," she stated, as quoted from the ministry's photo news on Monday, September 21, 2026.

In this context, Indonesia supports the target to substantially conclude negotiations by 2027. Furthermore, Indonesia backs the goal of finalizing the legal framework by 2026, as targeted by the AKFTA Upgrade Joint Committee and related sectoral bodies.

During the meeting, Vice Minister Roro was accompanied by other Indonesian delegates. They included the Director General of International Trade Negotiations, Johni Martha, and the Director of ASEAN Negotiations, Nugraheni Prasetya Hastuti.

The 23rd AEM-ROK Consultation Meeting discussed upgrading the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Area and exploring broader economic cooperation, with negotiations targeted for substantial completion in 2027.