Indonesia's Ambassador to South Korea Umar Hadi was awarded honorary citizenship of Seoul Wednesday in recognition of his contributions to facilitating friendly exchanges between the two countries, the city government said.

Since taking office as Indonesia's top envoy to South Korea in 2017, the ambassador has worked tirelessly to promote bilateral ties and enhance Seoul citizens' understanding of multiculturalism, according to the city government.

Hadi, in particular, played a leading role in forging joint COVID-19 response between Seoul and Jakarta in the face of the worldwide pandemic, the city said.

In 2019, he also hosted an Indonesian Day event to promote cultural exchanges between the two nations and led efforts to install an Indonesian section at the Korea Multiculture Museum in western Seoul.

The city also expressed expectations for Hadi's upcoming film project as he, also a movie director, is planning to direct a film about Koreans who contributed to Indonesia's independence from the Netherlands. (Yonhap)