Relationship dossier
Indonesia
South Korea
Relationship assessment
Broad economic and defense cooperation, alongside disputes over Indonesia’s contributions to joint fighter development.
Indonesia toward South Korea
+40Indonesia has pursued a bilateral economic partnership with South Korea through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, in force since 2023. It also joined South Korea’s joint fighter-aircraft development program, although disagreements over its financial contributions have strained that cooperation.
South Korea toward Indonesia
+40South Korea has pursued bilateral trade cooperation with Indonesia through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and collaborated with Indonesia on joint fighter-aircraft development. The fighter program has faced disputes over Indonesia’s payment obligations.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship is structured by sustained economic cooperation, including a bilateral trade agreement, and defense-industrial collaboration on fighter-aircraft development. The latter has generated friction over Indonesia’s financial contributions, creating a recurring tension within an otherwise broad cooperative partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Indonesia and South Korea maintain a broad cooperative relationship spanning trade, defense and economic policy. The Indonesia–Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force in 2023, and the governments have pursued joint fighter-aircraft development. Disputes over Indonesia’s payments for the fighter program have complicated defense cooperation but have not displaced the wider partnership.
Areas of tension
- Disagreements over Indonesia’s financial contributions to the joint fighter-aircraft development program.
Key developments
Indonesia and South Korea signed the Indonesia–Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
The Indonesia–Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force.
Indonesia and South Korea pursued joint development of a fighter aircraft, with disagreements emerging over Indonesia’s contributions.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of economic cooperation under the bilateral trade agreement are unclear.
- The status and future terms of Indonesia’s participation in the joint fighter-aircraft program remain subject to change.