South Korea and Indonesia Forge Strategic Partnership for Energy and Defense

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung engaged in discussions with Indonesian leader Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday, emphasizing energy security and technology cooperation. The summit, held at Seoul's Blue House, aimed to strengthen ties through critical mineral expansion and technological collaboration, according to an announcement from Lee's office.

Their dialogue followed a grand welcome ceremony. Lee raised concerns about global energy security, exacerbated by Middle Eastern tensions, highlighting Indonesia's crucial role in supplying LNG and coal. As the top thermal coal exporter, Indonesia assures stability for South Korea, which is a major importer of the resource, as per governmental data.

Further, data revealed South Korea's importation of approximately 2.1 million tons of liquefied natural gas from Indonesia in 2025. Both leaders noted their nations' complementary strengths, with South Korea's technology aligning with Indonesia's rich resources. Trade figures showed South Korea's exports to Indonesia at $7 billion and imports at $11.3 billion. Defense cooperation talks were also on the agenda, focusing on their joint KF-21 fighter jet project, amidst expectations of enhanced defense ties and strategic partnerships in various growth sectors.