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Maria Siow

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is keen to visit North Korea – a trip that could boost Jakarta’s diplomatic clout and allow it to act as a bridge between Seoul and Pyongyang.
But Indonesians might not support another overseas trip, given negative public opinion of Prabowo’s frequent travels, analysts warn. Plus, he has not even been invited by the increasingly isolated North Korea.
At a meeting with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce at the Presidential Palace on Friday, Prabowo said his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae Myung, had asked if he could call on the North “to open some kind of a dialogue” during his visit to Seoul in April.
“I told him, with all due respect and willingness, if you asked me to, I would go,” he said. “Indonesia is seen as having no interest in meddling in other countries’ domestic affairs. We hold firm to that.”
Since taking office last year, Lee has sought to ease tensions with North Korea but repeated overtures for dialogue have been rebuffed by Pyongyang, which declared its rival a “hostile nation” in 2024.

Lee’s office released a statement on Saturday saying that Indonesia and other countries with friendly ties to both Koreas could help foster peaceful coexistence on the Korean peninsula.
Low trust
A visit would bolster Jakarta’s diplomatic image, possibly help open a dialogue channel between the two Koreas, and “allow Pyongyang to show the international community that it is not totally closed to diplomatic outreach”, said Nah Liang Tuang, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
As a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement – established in 1961 among developing countries not wishing to side with either of the superpowers – Indonesia has a claim to neutrality and impartiality.
“This potentially gives it credibility in North Korean eyes that it is not biased against [Pyongyang],” Nah said.
He cautioned, however, that little might come out from the visit. “With North Korea receiving steadfast support from China, and recent concrete backing from Russia, I suspect that Asean does not have much influence on [North Korea].”
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations came under fire from the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last month after it expressed “grave concern” over Pyongyang’s ongoing nuclear weapons development.
Kim Yo-jong attacked Asean’s call for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula as “stupid and foolish”.
Korean affairs analyst Gabriela Bernal was more optimistic about Prabowo’s visit.

“With inter-Korean relations at their lowest point in decades, Seoul is trying to find new options and players to help ameliorate the dire situation,” said Bernal, a non-resident fellow at the European Centre for North Korean Studies.
And since the United States remained distracted with conflicts elsewhere, Lee had to look for other partners who could help ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, she said.
But whether Pyongyang will be open to Jakarta’s overtures is uncertain, especially since its top leader currently wants nothing to do with Seoul.
“Any visit by Indonesian officials to [North Korea] would have to be framed carefully as not to give the impression that they are going to advocate for South Korea,” Bernal said.
Framing the visit as a way to improve Pyongyang-Jakarta ties would be more effective at strengthening Indonesia’s possible future role as a mediator between the two Koreas, she added.
‘Zero leverage’
Prabowo’s visit could be a “valuable trust-building measure”, said Akhmad Hanan, an independent Indonesian researcher specialising in geopolitics.
“[It] has the potential to become a credible and acceptable communication bridge for both Koreas,” he said.
Indonesia and North Korea share friendly ties dating all the way back to the 1960s with former leaders Sukarno and Kim Il-sung. Relations had also been revitalised in recent years, Akhmad said, pointing to the reopening of the Indonesian Embassy in Pyongyang last year after it was closed during the pandemic.
Foreign Minister Sugiono also visited Pyongyang in October, the first by an Indonesian foreign minister to North Korea since 2013.
However, given that Prabowo’s frequent overseas visits have come under criticism at home, Akhmad said the president needed to strike a balance between “diplomatic activism” and domestic priorities such as an economic slowdown, decreased purchasing power and unemployment.
“Visiting North Korea should only happen if there is really clear diplomatic necessity, and measurable strategic value for Indonesia’s national interests,” Akhmad added.
In less than two years in office, Prabowo has undertaken 54 overseas trips covering 29 countries, sparking significant public unhappiness.
Yohanes Sulaiman, an associate professor of international relations at Jenderal Achmad Yani University, said Prabowo had “zero leverage” and little to offer.
“He doesn’t have any plan, or any carrot to dangle,” Yohanes said. “What can he offer to sweeten the deal?”
In comparison, Russia has given North Korea substantial financial compensation, advanced military technology, vital food supplies and energy commodities in exchange for sending troops and munitions to support its Ukraine war efforts.


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While a visit could boost Indonesia’s diplomatic clout, it also threatens to raise another outcry about Prabowo’s frequent flights


While a visit could boost Indonesia’s diplomatic clout, it also threatens to raise another outcry about Prabowo’s frequent flights.


Indonesia’s Prabowo is happy to play mediator to both Koreas. But does North want him to?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}While a visit could boost Indonesia’s diplomatic clout, it also threatens to raise another outcry about Prabowo’s frequent flights

While a visit could boost Indonesia’s diplomatic clout, it also threatens to raise another outcry about Prabowo’s frequent flights