SEOUL. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a state visit aimed at forging stronger economic cooperation between the two countries. It is Jokowi’s second visit to South Korea after his 2014 visit.

Upon arriving at the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, the President was welcomed by 21-cannon salute.

South Korea protocol head Choi Jong-hyun, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Kim Jong-deok, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Taiyoung Cho and the Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea John A. Prasetio were among the officials that welcomed Jokowi.

A number of ministers and officials joined the Indonesian delegation during the visit, namely Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, Investment Coordination Board ( BKPM ) head Franky Sibarani, presidential staffer Teten Masduki and presidential spokesperson Johan Budi.

The delegates are slated to hold a business forum, a one-on-one meeting and a round table discussion with 20 major South Korean companies during the three-day visit.

Indonesia hopes to attract more investment from South Korean businesses and boost bilateral trade. South Korea ranked sixth in terms of realized foreign direct investment in Indonesia with US$188.92 million in the first quarter, according to data from the BKPM.

Trade figures put Indonesia’s exports to South Korea at $1.22 billion and imports at $1.44 billion during the January to March period of 2016.

In addition to meeting with South Korean officials and businessmen, Jokowi will also meet with the Indonesian community on Sunday evening. (Tassia Sipahutar)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie