Megawati Soekarnoputri Hosts South Korean Advisor to Discuss Peace Efforts

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) chairperson and fifth president of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, received a visit from Kim Soo-Il, advisor to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, at her residence in Menteng, Jakarta, on Friday, May 8, 2026.

The meeting centered on the geopolitical situation and ongoing efforts to achieve peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. Megawati was accompanied by PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto and PDIP Central Executive Board Chairman Rokhmin Dahuri.

Kim Soo-Il has long-standing ties with Indonesia, having served as the country’s honorary consul in Busan for 14 years between 1993 and 2007, which made him fluent in Indonesian. He also previously served as South Korea’s ambassador to Timor-Leste.

Discussions highlighted Megawati’s longstanding relations with both North and South Korean leaders. At the request of leaders from both sides, she has often acted as a special envoy to foster dialogue and promote reunification.

“During the meeting, we reiterated our hope that Mrs. Megawati would play a strategic role in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Hasto said in a written statement on Friday, as quoted by Antara.

Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, also played a unique role in relations with Korea, particularly with North Korea, through his close friendship with founding leader Kim Il Sung.

The Kimilsungia, a purple orchid gifted by Sukarno to Kim Il Sung, later became North Korea’s national flower and remains a symbol of the relationship between the two nations.

Hasto noted that Megawati continued this legacy when she met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang in 2002. Although no longer president, she has remained active in reunification efforts, visiting North Korea twice in 2005 to discuss bilateral relations and reunification.

Megawati has also maintained strong ties with South Korea. She attended the inauguration of President Yoon Suk-yeol in 2022 and received an honorary professorship from the Seoul Institute of the Arts the same year.

She has been awarded honorary doctorates from the Korean Maritime University in 2015 and the Mokpo National University in 2017. In 2021, she was invited as a keynote speaker at the DMZ International Forum on the Peace Economy in Seoul, where she spoke on peace and reunification.

Hasto emphasized that North and South Korea share a common history, language, and culture but were divided during the Cold War. “What Mrs. Megawati did was an actualization of Bung Karno’s vision, which was to promote peace in Korea during the Cold War to avert the division of a nation with a history of resistance against colonialism,” he said.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of souvenirs, during which Megawati lightheartedly asked Kim’s age. “How old are you now, Professor Kim?” she asked. “I’m 73,” he replied. “Still younger. I’m 79,” Megawati said with a smile. ***