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President Lee Jae-myung and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shake hands prior to an expanded bilateral summit at the Blue House on April 1. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto revealed that President Lee Jae-myung asked him to visit North Korea to open a channel of dialogue with Pyongyang, adding that he replied he would go if requested.

According to Reuters on August 1 (local time), President Prabowo mentioned President Lee's request during a speech at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry the previous day while explaining his country's foreign policy stance of maintaining equally good relations with all nations, including China and the U.S. He said, "During my last visit to South Korea, the president there asked if I could visit North Korea to open dialogue in any form," and added, "I politely and willingly replied that if requested, I would go."

He further noted, "Indonesia is seen as a country with no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations," adding, "We strictly adhere to that principle." President Prabowo met with President Lee in Seoul last April. During their summit at the time, the two leaders discussed energy security and agreed to expand cooperation in areas such as defense.

The South Korean Presidential Office did not directly confirm the request. However, it stated that it views countries like Indonesia, which maintain friendly relations with both North and South Korea, as capable of playing a constructive role in promoting peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, and that it has continued to explore ways to cooperate with such nations.

Discussions surrounding Indonesia's potential role come amidst repeated setbacks in South Korea's attempts to establish contact with North Korea. Since taking office last year, President Lee has sought to lower military tensions and revive dialogue with North Korea, but Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected South Korea's overtures. In 2024, North Korea officially abandoned its long-standing goal of unification and designated South Korea as a hostile state.

This is not the first time President Prabowo has expressed a willingness to mediate. Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono stated in March that President Prabowo was willing to serve as a mediator in conflicts surrounding Iran "to calm the situation and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East." Indonesia has traditionally advocated a non-aligned, independent, and active foreign policy that avoids taking sides.

The basis for Indonesia offering such a role lies in the relationships it has cultivated with both North and South Korea. Jakarta established ties with North Korea in the 1960s when its founding president, Sukarno, formed a close relationship with Premier Kim Il-sung, a legacy symbolized by the orchid "Kimilsungia," named after Kim. Simultaneously, Indonesia has built close cooperative relations with South Korea across trade, investment, defense, and technology.

Contact with North Korea has continued recently. Foreign Minister Sugiono visited Pyongyang from October 10 to 11 last year on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, where he met with Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. Marking the first visit by an Indonesian foreign minister to North Korea in 12 years since 2013, the two countries renewed a memorandum of understanding on regular consultations, and Indonesia expressed its intent to assist North Korea in expanding its participation in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). President Prabowo did not mention the timing or format of any potential visit to North Korea this time.

                                                                                                            Jeong Ri-na