Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto announced on Friday, July 31, 2026, that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked him if he could visit North Korea to initiate dialogue, and he expressed willingness to do so.

Speaking at a meeting with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, Prabowo highlighted Indonesia's pursuit of balanced relations with all countries, including China and the United States, and referenced the request made during his last visit to Seoul in April 2026. He said, "During my last visit to South Korea, their president asked me if I could visit North Korea to open some kind of a dialogue. I told him, with all due respect and willingness, if you asked me to, I would go."

Prabowo emphasized Indonesia's stance of not meddling in other countries' domestic affairs, stating, "Indonesia is seen as having no interest in meddling in other countries' domestic affairs. We hold firm to that."

In response, Lee Jae Myung's office conveyed that South Korea believes Indonesia and other countries with friendly ties to both Seoul and Pyongyang could play a constructive role in fostering peaceful coexistence on the Korean peninsula and that it continues to explore cooperation with them.

Earlier in March 2026, Indonesia's foreign minister Sugiono noted that Prabowo was willing to act as a mediator in the Iran war to help "cool down and de-escalate the situation in the region."

During the April meeting, Lee and Prabowo also discussed energy security and agreed to expand cooperation in areas such as defense.

Since taking office last year, Lee has sought to ease tensions with Pyongyang, but North Korea has repeatedly rebuffed overtures for dialogue and declared South Korea a "hostile nation" in 2024.

Sources