TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) attended the Indonesia-Korea Business and Investment Forum 2018 on the sidelines of his state visit to South Korea on Monday.

The head of state remarked that South Korea is an old friend of Indonesia, and several Korean firms had been operating in the country.

"Korean firms have operated in Indonesia for years, and they employ some 900 thousand workers," the president noted.

Jokowi pointed out that South Korea is the third-largest investor in Indonesia, especially in iron and steel, petrochemical, and aluminum.

Read also: Jokowi: Korean Companies in Indonesia Employ 900,000 People

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Rosan Perkasa Roeslani stated that a delegation of 104 Indonesian businessmen were involved in the forum, which had demonstrated improved bilateral ties in trade and investment.

Roeslani disclosed that the two countries` trade and investment potential had yet to be explored.

"We in Indonesia are open for investment," he remarked.

Read also: President Jokowi Meets With Business Leaders in South Korea

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry Yongman Park stated that the two countries will need to boost bilateral cooperation to further explore the potential of investment in Indonesia.

He also called on Korean businessmen to play an active role in the development of infrastructure in Indonesia.

Present at the forum were some cabinet ministers including Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto, Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi, Chief of the Investment Coordinating Board Thomas Lembong, Head of the Creative Economy Agency Triawan Munaf, Indonesian Ambassador to South Korea Umar Hadi, and Kadin Chief Rosan Perkasa Roeslani.

ANTARA