Prabowo’s planned Seoul visit highlights strategic balancing

Simon Hutagalung

The author is a retired Indonesian Foreign Ministry official.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to pay a state visit to Korea on Tuesday, signaling a renewed focus on Indonesia’s foreign policy. As the visit has yet to take place, it is expected to strengthen cooperation in defense, the economy and technology, while reflecting Jakarta’s effort to deepen ties with major Asian partners without compromising its strategic autonomy. The trip underscores Indonesia’s broader aim of advancing economic interests, strengthening national security in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and expanding its influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Since their ties were elevated to a Special Strategic Partnership in 2017, Korea has become one of Indonesia’s key trading partners and a major source of investment. Indonesian markets and natural resources continue to attract Korean firms, particularly as global supply chains undergo restructuring. Against this backdrop, the planned visit highlights the need to consolidate bilateral ties to ensure sustained long-term growth.

Defense cooperation is expected to be a central issue during the visit. Prabowo has emphasized the need to modernize Indonesia’s military capabilities, and closer engagement with Korea has become part of that effort. Discussions are likely to focus on defense technology, joint industrial cooperation and developments related to the KF-21 fighter jet program. By planning a trip to Seoul, Prabowo is signaling Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening defense ties with Korea under mutually acceptable conditions.

For Indonesia, such cooperation aligns with its long-standing strategy of diversifying defense partnerships to avoid overdependence on any single power. Korea offers an alternative partner that can complement Indonesia’s existing ties with Western suppliers, as well as its emerging relations with Russia and China. In this sense, cooperation with Korea supports both Indonesia’s goal of reducing dependency and its ambition to localize defense technology.

Economic cooperation is also expected to be a key pillar of the visit. Korea has invested heavily in Indonesia, and Jakarta is seeking further investment, particularly in developing nickel resources into key materials for batteries and electric vehicles. Indonesia aims to move beyond its role as a resource exporter toward a more advanced manufacturing economy. The upcoming visit is likely to reinforce Korean investment in sectors that are central to Indonesia’s future growth strategy.

The visit also carries domestic political significance. Prabowo is expected to use the opportunity to present Indonesia as a stable and open destination for investment, emphasizing industrial transformation and job creation. His message is likely to highlight the government’s intention to position Indonesia as a manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia.

Despite these ambitions, challenges remain in bilateral economic relations. Issues such as market access, regulatory barriers and delays in implementing previous agreements continue to hinder progress. Both sides have indicated that high-level engagement could help address these obstacles and elevate economic cooperation to a more strategic level. Prabowo has framed the planned visit as a step toward reaffirming partnership and promoting complementary cooperation between the two countries.

Symbolically, the state visit also reflects mutual recognition of each country’s strategic importance. Korea’s invitation signals its view of Indonesia as a key player in Southeast Asia, while Indonesia’s acceptance underscores its reliance on diplomacy as a tool to achieve national objectives.

However, the success of the visit will ultimately depend on implementation. Past experience shows that bilateral agreements often face obstacles at the execution stage, including funding constraints and shifting priorities. Whether this visit leads to tangible and sustainable outcomes will only become clear over time.

Overall, Prabowo’s planned visit to Korea represents a significant step in strengthening Indonesia’s strategic partnership across defense, economic and diplomatic fronts. It is expected to support military modernization, encourage investment in critical industries and enhance Indonesia’s role in the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, it reflects a pragmatic, outcome-driven foreign policy approach aimed at advancing national interests in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

Simon Hutagalung received his Master’s degree in Political Science and Comparative Politics from the City University of New York. The opinions expressed in this article are his own.