JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Lim Jong-soon, secretary general of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Indonesia, emphasized the necessity of two-way cultural exchanges between Korea and Indonesia at the Korea-Indonesia Cooperation Forum in Jakarta on Thursday.
Lim expressed his concern that although Korean culture holds significant sway in Indonesia, Indonesian cultural influence in Korea remains comparatively limited.
"Among Koreans, Indonesia is only perceived as a densely populated and rapidly growing country, with relatively restricted cultural exchanges (taking place)," Lim said during a talk session on "K-Wave and I-Wave Side by Side" at the forum.
"Such perceptions could pose potential obstacles to the future of Hallyu and the relationship between Korea and Indonesia," he added.
He also noted that embracing Indonesian culture could also boost Korean companies' business ventures in Indonesia.
Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 Batik edition, inspired by Indonesia's traditional batik dyeing technique, was presented as a successful case study.
"Launching the Batik edition received a lot of positive responses (in Indonesia)," he added.
Lim also addressed the survey results involving 816 respondents in Indonesia, conducted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Indonesia in 2023, to highlight the influence of Korean culture in Indonesia.
"According to the survey, the top desired travel destination for Indonesians is South Korea," he said.
Lim added that 59.1 percent of respondents reported learning information about South Korea through Korean media.
Indonesian entertainment powerhouse Rans Entertainment Chairman Raffi Ahmad also said the K-pop industry, in particular, has a huge influence in Indonesia.
“I hope that we can form a system where the two countries can work together,” Ahmad said.
Cosmetics brand Nama's chairman and actor Luna Maya also mentioned that a significant part of her beauty brand was inspired by the Korean beauty industry.
"I believe that the Korean beauty industry is more advanced than Indonesia's, and there are influences of Korean dramas and Hallyu in Indonesia, so naturally, the beauty industry in Indonesia has also been affected," Maya said.
"I hope that one day, Indonesian beauty brands can also become successful in Korea," she added.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno also took part in the session as a keynote speaker.
“The cultural exchange between Indonesia and Korea is evident through a variety of movies and dramas. Despite geopolitical differences, it is noteworthy that there has been cultural collaboration between the two nations,” he stressed.
Over 1,000 people participated in the business forum hosted by Herald Corp., publisher of The Korea Herald and Herald Business, under the title, “K-Wave and I-Wave, Together for the Future,” at the Hotel Mulia Senayan in Jakarta on Thursday.
