ASEAN IN KOREA
A Bridge for Indonesia-Korea Trade
Reandhy Putera Dharmawan
The Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC Busan), which is located in Dong-gu, Busan, was founded in 2009 for the purpose of building and strengthening Indonesia-Korea trade relations. It engages in diverse promotional activities, such as introducing Indonesian products. For the September issue of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly, we met with Reandhy Putera Dharmawan, who was named as the director of ITPC Busan early this year, to learn about what he is currently doing and hopes to do in the future as a bridge that links Indonesia-Korea trade.
You have been named the director of ITPC Busan. How do you feel about this distinction?
I served as deputy director of the ITPC, which is affiliated with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Seoul, from 2015 through 2018. I am very grateful to once again be entrusted to serve as a representative of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia in my new position as director.
What did you enjoy most about living in Korea?
I loved every minute of my time in Korea. Through work and leisure, I realized that the country has a lot of lovely, warm-hearted people. I also, of course, loved all of the Korean food I tried. During my first stint in Korea, I went sightseeing with my family every weekend. We had a wonderful time seeing theme parks, mountains, beaches, and other beautiful attractions of Busan. Three years later, Korea is still a wealth of things to see and do. I hope to spend more time exploring Korea’s food and travel destinations that I didn’t get to see the first time around.
What aspects of Indonesian culture do you wish to introduce to Koreans?
One defining characteristic that is easily seen in Indonesians is friendliness. The willingness of most Indonesians to smile or greet strangers, or to ask foreign tourists if they want to take a selfie together, is a reflection of their warmth and sociable nature, and it puts visitors at ease as if they were at home.
We understand that ITPC Busan introduces Indonesian products and engages in various promotional activities. Can you introduce one or two of these activities for our ACH Monthly readers?
ITPC Busan provides information on business opportunities in South Korea to Indonesia exporters. For importers in South Korea, we provide information on the potential of Indonesian export products. We also help Indonesian businesspersons participate in international trade expos, and we operate a permanent display room for Indonesian export products at the ITPC Busan office.
What do you hope to achieve during your time as director of ITPC Busan?
I hope that ITPC Busan can contribute to accelerating economic and trade relations between Indonesia and South Korea. Personally, I hope that my family can once again have many wonderful experiences in Busan. Thank you, and may you all be blessed with great success and health!.
한국국제교류재단
