South Korea and Indonesia discuss energy security, sign agreements on minerals and tech

(Reuters)

SEOUL, April 1 – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held talks on Wednesday with Indonesian leader ‌Prabowo Subianto, discussing energy security and agreeing to expand cooperation in areas such as defence, Lee’s office said.

The summit talks followed a welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul.

“We view Indonesia’s stable role in supplying key energy resources such as LNG and coal as very reassuring,” Lee ​said in a statement, calling for closer cooperation on energy supply and resource security amid the global uncertainty triggered ​by the conflict in the Middle East.

In a joint statement, South Korea and Indonesia pledged to accelerate ⁠the launch of high-level energy security dialogue and public-private cooperation channels, emphasising the need to keep global energy supply chains ​stable and minimise disruptions to the flow of energy and essential goods.

Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal, while South ​Korea has been among the five biggest importers of the fuel in recent years, according to Korean government data.

South Korea also imported about 2.1 million tons of liquefied natural gas from Indonesia in 2025, data showed.

The Indonesian president arrived in Seoul from Japan where Jakarta agreed to step up ​coordination with Tokyo on energy security.

Prabowo described South Korea and Indonesia as natural partners with “complementary roles”, pointing to South Korea’s industrial ​and technological strengths and Indonesia’s abundant resources and large market.

South Korea’s exports to Indonesia stood at $7 billion in 2025, while imports were $11.3 billion, ‌trade data ⁠showed.

Lee and Prabowo also oversaw the signing of multiple preliminary agreements, including support for projects in renewable energy and data centres as the countries elevate their relationship into a strategic partnership.