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Indonesia-North Korea Diplomatic Relations Indonesia-North Korea Diplomatic Relations: Effort to Pursue National Interest and Create Regional Peace Hubungan Diplomatik Indonesia – Korea Utara: Upaya Mewujudkan Kepentingan Nasional dan Menciptakan Perdamaian Regional Hendra Manurung Mahasiswa Doktoral Hubungan Internasional, Universitas Padjajaran email: [email protected] Riwayat Artikel Abstract Diterima: 3 November 2019 This article aims to analyze the implementation of Indonesia’s foreign policy Direvisi: 14 Agustus 2020 towards North Korea over its approximately fifty-nine years of bilateral Disetujui: 15 September 2020 relations, since 17 June 1961. The arguments posited in this regard is that the doi: 10.22212/jp.v11i2.1466 implementation of Indonesia’s foreign policy towards North Korea has been counterproductive. Under the leadership of President Joko Widodo, Indonesia actually has great potential to influence North Korea’s conducts through the close diplomatic relations that the two countries have developed. The friendship between Indonesia and North Korea began since the two states conducted reciprocal official visits 1964 and 1965. Indonesia’s foreign policy towards South Korea has often been carried out to influence the offensive decisions of North Korean leaders, especially in relation to the issue of nuclear weapon development. The key question is what should and can Indonesia do next to help create peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula by adhering to the principles of a free and active foreign policy? Why is it necessary for Indonesia to do this and how can Indonesia carry out this foreign policy towards North Korea? After becoming President since 2011, Kim Jong-un had to weaken his father’s winning coalition to consolidate domestic political stability. However, North Korea’s domestic market reforms have had the effect of eroding the Kim family’s ideological appeal. This is relevant to the expansion of political influence from Pyongyang, which prioritizes the continuation of a fragile centralized authoritarian power while maintaining sustainable domestic economic growth. Keywords: Indonesia; North Korea; Foreign Policy; Denuclearization; Regional Stability. Politica Vol. 11 No. 2 November 2020 223 Abstrak Artikel ini bertujuan menjelaskan secara analitis bagaimana implementasi kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia terhadap Korea Utara selama 59 tahun sejak 17 Juni 1961. Argumen yang ingin disampaikan terkait implementasi kebijakan luar negeri Indonesia terhadap Korea Utara adalah kontraproduktif. Indonesia di bawah kepemimpinan Presiden Joko Widodo berpotensi besar untuk mampu memengaruhi perilaku Korea Utara melalui hubungan diplomatik. Persahabatan Indonesia dan Korea Utara dimulai sejak saling kunjung di 1964 dan 1965. Orientasi politik luar negeri Indonesia di masa lalu hingga saat ini, telah sering dilakukan untuk memengaruhi keputusan ofensif para pemimpin Korea Utara, khususnya terkait dengan isu pengembangan senjata nuklir. Pertanyaannya adalah apa yang harus dan sebaiknya dilakukan Indonesia selanjutnya untuk membantu menciptakan perdamaian dan stabilitas di Semenanjung Korea dengan tetap berpegang pada prinsip politik luar negeri bebas dan aktif? Mengapa hal tersebut perlu dilakukan oleh Indonesia dan bagaimana cara menjalankan kebijakan luar negeri terhadap Korea Utara tersebut? Kim Jong-un, setelah menjadi Presiden sejak 2011, harus melemahkan posisi koalisi pemenang ayahnya untuk konsolidasi stabilitas politik dalam negeri. Bagaimanapun, reformasi pasar domestik Korea Utara telah berdampak pada pengikisan daya tarik ideologis keluarga Kim. Hal ini relevan dengan perluasan pengaruh politik dari Pyongyang memprioritaskan pada keberlangsungan kekuatan otoriter terpusat yang rentan seiring bagaimana dapat mempertahankan pertumbuhan ekonomi dalam negeri berkelanjutan. Kata kunci: Indonesia; Korea Utara; Kebijakan Luar Negeri; Denuklirisasi; Stabilitas Kawasan Introduction leaders appreciates Indonesia as the founder The COVID-19 pandemic situation has of the Non-Aligned Movement and a major an impact on the world peace process and the country in the Southeast Asia region to achievement of global security1. Particularly optimize its role in pursuing peace and for countries that are currently hit by a long security at the regional and international conflict, such as on the Korean Peninsula. levels. The global pandemic has further added to the North Korea and Indonesia diplomatic security vulnerabilities of the border between relations began on June 17, 19613. It North and South Korea. It is possible that was marked by an exchange of notes on North Korea could be threatened with falling the opening of a diplomatic consular into a sustainable level of structural poverty. office. In those years, President Sukarno Indonesia and North Korea has good maintained very good relations with Eastern bilateral relations2. The North Korean Bloccountries such the Soviet Union and China. 1 Retno L.P Marsudi, “Melestarikan Perdamaian di Masa Pandemi,” Kompas, 14 August 2020, 6. North Korea effectively closed itself to 2 Berlian Napitupulu, “Promosikan Hubungan Baik the outside world after Kim Il-sung took Indonesia-Korea Utara, Dubes RI untuk Korea central government control, with Josef Utara Menjadi Narasumber Seminar Daring,” 3 Ramadhan, “Kimilsungia dan Hubungan Mesra Indonesia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2020, Indonesia dengan Korea Utara,” Asumsi.co, 29 April accessed on 1 July 2020, https://kemlu.go.id/portal/ 2020, accessed on 2 July 2020, https://asumsi.co/ id/read/1300/berita/promosikan-hubungan-baik- post/kimilsungia-dan-hubungan-mesra-indonesia- indonesia-korea-utara-dubes-ri-untuk-korea-utara- dengan-korea-utara. menjadi-narasumber-seminar-daring 224 Hendra Manurung: Indonesia-North Korea Diplomatic Relations:... Stalin’s blessing, after World War II4. The The other remaining socialist states state became seen as largely a Soviet Union have tended to downplay their military satellite, though this was an overstatement; capacity in recent years; North Korea still while in the Cold War era Pyongyang and publicly and vocally adheres to a military- Moscow appeared close, a longer lasting and first ideology of putting national army, in many ways more influential relationship before the working class. has existed between Pyongyang and Beijing. In fact, the history of North Korea has North Korea has emerged into the current been one of retreat from International century as a relic of the last. It is effectively Politics. The country remains still outside the only unreformed Stalinist-style command most international or regional forums, as well economy left in existence, while most others as remaining outside the World Bank and the have crumbled or begun reform programs. International Monetary Fund. Pyongyang The US President, Bill Clinton described follows its own path in many respects, such: the Korean peninsula as ‘the Cold War’s it has developed its own political theory that Last Divide’ in 1997, while President George encompasses North Korean life in Juche Bush Jr. infamously included the DPRK in theory; it operates its own calendar; until his 2002 ‘Axis of Evil’ speech. Japan’s Prime recently it retained few official diplomatic Minister called North Korea a ‘disgraceful’ ties with foreign nations. Few of the North’s country and his Chief Cabinet Secretary citizens, even those in privileged positions, described it as a ‘crazy’ country5. ever travel outside the country, and the 4 Paul French, North Korea: The Paranoid Peninsula, a nation restricts access by the outside media. Modern History (London & New York: Zed Books, The Democratic People’s Republic of 2007), 2. Korea, meanwhile, has largely shunned the 5 French, North Korea, 1. Source: North Korea fires intercontinental ballistic missile (https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/north-korea-fires- intercontinental-ballistic-missile-9449588) Picture 1. North Korea range of missile Politica Vol. 11 No. 2 November 2020 225 outside world and pursued its own path, the Kim Jong-un was officially chosen as a outside world in return has, until recently, successor candidate, and various supporting largely ignored North Korea except at figures have been elected as members of the intelligence agency levels and, since the mid- Politburo, such Kim Kyung-hui, Kim Jong- 1990s, through foreign aid donations to deal il’s younger brother. The late Kim Jong-il’s with the famine ravaging the country. Tourism brother-in-law, Jang Song-taek, has been to the DPRK remains small-scale and business given the position of Deputy Chair of the delegations rarely visit. The division drawn National Defense Commission, a strategic across the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel position that controls the Korean National in 1953 remains in force with the world’s most People’s Army. Strategic positions at the heavily militarized border between the Koreas. Politburo, the Secretariat of the Workers’ Given the history of the Korean Peninsula and Party of Korea, and the Military Central the states, however, that have grown up since Commission were filled by loyal supporters 1953 a little paranoia is perhaps forgivable. of the Kim family. North Korean Air Force Moreover, it has been the fate of the North Marshal Rhee Yong Ho has been appointed Korea to be the least understood of the two as a member of the Politburo and at the halves. same time becomes Deputy Chairman of the The transition process of North Korea’s North Korean Military Central Commission political leadership from Kim Jong-il to with Kim Jong-un8. Kim
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