The 4^th  Annual Indonesian Speech Contest 2008 Held In Seoul 

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Seoul has successfully organized the 4th Indonesian Speech Contest 2008 on May 24, 2008 at the  Embassy. This contest was open to the Korean public. All participants have delivered their speech in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) under the theme “Indonesian Culture.”

The Indonesian Speech Contest is an annual program which was held for the first time in 2005. The objective of this activity is to promote Indonesian language and culture to the Korean people, as well as to enhance the cordial relations between the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Korea which has amicably existed for a long time.

The Indonesian Speech Contest 2008 was opened by Charge d’Affairs of the Embassy, Mr. Foster Gultom and was participated by  31 contestants. Most of them are students majoring Malay-Indonesian Studies in Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Pusan University of Foreign Studies, and Woosong University.

         Seoul Friendship Fair Brings      the World Closer with "Hi Seoul Festival 2008"

Embassy Women Association (DWP) from  Indonesian Embassy in Korea participated to the  Hi Seoul Festival 2008 on May 10, 2008.  Food, fairs and fun were back at the annual Hi Seoul Spring Festival this past week. One of the many, the 2008 Seoul Friendship Fair was held to promote understanding and strengthen friendships among cultures.

Seoul was alive with festivities this past week as people from all nooks and crannies of Korea as well as other countries came to the eight-day-long Hi Seoul Spring Festival.
Throughout the capital, various sights and sounds are available for public enjoyment at fairs and exhibitions, the cuisines of more than 50 countries were on display.

The Order of Diplomatic Service Merit to H.E. Jakob Tobing, February 2008

On February 15, 2008, The Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo, if giving the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit to H.E. Jakob Tobing, in acknowledgment of his distinguished efforts for promotion of friendly relations between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Indonesia during his tour of duty as the Indonesian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea

ASEAN Ambassadors' call to President-elect Lee Myung-bak, January 2008

On 29 January 2008, Indonesian Ambassador and Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS), H.E. Jakob Tobing along with seven Ambassadors of ASEAN countries: Ambassadors of Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, conducted a courtesy call to President-elect Lee Myung-bak at his office in Seoul.

At this occasion, Ambassador Tobing congratulates President-elect Lee Myung-bak for his decisive victory on the election last month. Aside from the discussion on ASEAN-Korea relations, Ambassador Tobing also presents to President-elect Lee a souvenir as a token of gratitude of the people of Indonesia for the humanitarian assistance he organized as the Mayor of Seoul to the victims of the tsunami which hit Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia in 2004.

Among other things, President-elect Lee Myung-bak praised the cooperation established between the two regions and promised to put special attention to ASEAN and to increase Korean participation in overseas development assistance.

Indonesian Cuisine

With over 300 ethnic groups and over 590 languages and dialects, Indonesian food is as varied as its people.

So imagine having to explain what a national dish is or even offer a sample of Indonesian cuisine. Recently the Indonesian Embassy held a seminar explaining its country, people, tourist attractions and foods to Club Symposia, a group of Korean restaurateurs and food service professionals.

Every couple of months the group gets together to learn about another countrys culture and food at the Millennium Hilton Hotel, but this time around, for the Indonesian luncheon, it was held at the Indonesian Embassy in Yeouido.

What also made this event special was that it was hosted by the ambassadors wife, something that rarely happens.Our food and people are as different as the land itself, said Mdme Adriana Tobing. The surrounding countries have similar foods but with differences. Popular Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambals are also enjoyed in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as tofu and tempe, are also very popular in many parts of Indonesia. Yet, most Indonesians eat rice as the main dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There is an Indonesian joke that says, even if you have eaten a loaf of bread, you are still hungry. Its gotta be rice! Other Indonesians are fine with bread or noodles. Mdme Adriana Tobing explained the different regions and their foods and customs.

The Sudanese in West Java like to eat fresh vegetables and sambal (relishes) while the Javanese like to eat sweet foods. Most meals in western and central Indonesia are served around a cone-shaped pile of long-grain, highly polished rice. A meal may include a soup, salad or the more commonly sauteed vegetables with garlic, and another main dish.  All meals are accompanied by at least one sambal.

The people in Padang, West Sumatra are more into hot and spicy foods and are famous for fast delivery. The waiter can bring a dozen plates of various dishes with two hands in one trip. One of the favorites of the area is beef rendang.

In eastern Indonesia, where the natives are more influenced by Pacific Islander cultures such as on the island of Papua and Timor, the meals can be centered around other sources of carbohydrates such as sago and grain.

Adriana arranged a table with some of the spices used in Indonesian cuisine to give an idea of the various spices used in Indonesian cuisine. After the explanation it was down to the food itself. The chefs at the embassy whipped up Soto Padang (spicy soup Padang style) with satay, vegetables and rice.

The Club arranges these seminars to taste foods that are unfamiliar in Korea and in consequence, may adapt those dishes to menus or services in their own establishments.

Roundtable Seminar on Indonesia-Korea Relations, August 2007

The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul and the Seoul Forum for International Affairs organized the Roundtable Seminar on Indonesia-Korea Relations: Beyond the Signing of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership. The Seminar was held in Millennium Seoul Hilton on 28 August 2007 with participation from government officials, academics and businessmen.

The seminar was held as the forum for collecting inputs related to the cooperation potentials between two countries in the context of the implementation of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership. The Joint Declaration itself was signed by the Presidents of both countries on December 2006.

The prominent speakers of the seminar among others: Dr. Hong Koo Lee, Chairman of Seoul Forum and Former Prime Minister of Korea, Dr. Sung-Joo Han, President of Seoul Forum and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea, and Ambassador Jakob Tobing, Indonesian Ambassador to Republic of Korea.

Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of ASEAN, August 2007

On 27 August 2007, the ASEAN Seoul Committee organized a series of events commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN). The ASEAN Seoul Committee, which consists of Ambassadors of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, held a seminar  titled “ASEAN-Korea at the Heart of Dynamic Asia” with special presentation of keynote address by H.E. Kim Dae-Jung, Former President of the Republic of Korea. The seminar was then followed by a reception hosted by ten ASEAN missions in Korea.

Diplomatic Reception and Indonesian Cultural Night, August 2007

Celebrating the 62^nd anniversary of the Independence  of the Republic of Indonesia, the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul held a diplomatic reception at Shilla Hotel in Seoul on 17 August evening. This national day event was hosted by Ambassador Jakob Tobing and Mme. Adriana Tobing, inviting prominent persons from the diplomatic community, government officials, private sector, academics and “friends of Indonesia”. Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Kim Young-ju, was present as the Guest of Honour of the reception. Around 400 invitees attended the reception which was titled “Jewel of Archipelago: Journey through the beauty of Indonesia”.

During the reception, the Padjadjaran University Cultural Troupe and La Horas Band have beautifully presented the cultural richness of Indonesia through a string of Indonesian traditional dances, performances and songs.

Indonesian Trip 2007, July  2007

The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul organized the Indonesian Trip 2007 from 13 to 22 July 2007 with participation of 27 individuals from the circle of business people, academics, mass media and diplomatic corps in Seoul, including ambassadors from Argentine and Peru. Ambassador Jakob Tobing guided the group during their trip to Bali, Komodo Island, Surabaya and Jakarta. The Indonesian Trip this year is the third trip after the first and second Indonesian Trip which were held in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

The 3rd Annual Indonesian Speech Contest in Seoul, June 2007

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Seoul has successfully organized the Indonesian Speech Contest 2007 on June 9, 2007 at the Indonesian Embassy. This contest was open to Korean public. All participants delivered a speech in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) under the theme “Promoting Bilateral Relations between Indonesia and Korea.”

 The Indonesian Speech Contest is an annual program which was held for the first time in 2005. The objective of this activity is to promote Indonesian language and culture to Korean people, as well as to enhance the cordial relations between the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of Korea.

 The Indonesian Speech Contest 2007 was opened by Indonesian Ambassador, H.E. Jakob Tobing at 10:00 A.M. There were 24 contestants participated in this event, all of them are students majoring Malay-Indonesian Studies in Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Pusan University of Foreign Studies, and Youngsan University.

 Indonesia Run 2007, May 2007

 The Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, on 27 May 2007, organized Indonesia Run 2007 under the theme “Let’s Smile” in World Cup Stadium, Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul with waiter/bartender run as side event. This event is organized with cooperation with Korea Indonesia Friendship Association (KIFA) and supported by Korean Red Cross (KRC) which also aims to help children with cancer in Korea. The Indonesia Run 2007 is the second marathon event held by Indonesian Embassy (the first marathon was organized at the same place in dedication to Korean people who shared their love and compassion to help tsunami’s victims) as part of the Embassy’s commitment to promote and enhance Indonesia – Korea relationship in all areas.

The marathon was attended by more than 1750 runners from all ages and several VIPs guest from MOFAT, Mr. Bae Jae Hyun (Director General of Cultural Affairs); President of KIFA, H.E. Yun Hai-Jung (Former Korean Ambassador for Indonesia); Vice President of KRC, Mr. Ham Kee Sun; foreign embassies and sponsorship companies’ representatives.  During the event the Indonesian Students in Korea performed Indonesian Folk Dancing “Poco Poco” and the Indonesian Workers’ Band played Indonesian traditional music.

Two main lucky draw was given to 2 (two) participant to join the next Indonesian promotional  program which is Indonesian Trip III to Bali, Komodo Island, Surabaya (Mt. Bromo) and Jakarta for 8 (eight) days, from 13-22 July 2007.

Ambassador's Informal  Meeting with H.E.  Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, March 2007

Ambassador Jakob Tobing met H.E. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations in an informal meeting and dinner held in New York on 5 March 2007.

The dinner also attended by Ambassador Hasan Kleib, Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN while UN Secretary General was accompanied by Mr. Kim Won-soo, Special Assistant to UNSG and Ambassador Oh Joon, Deputy Permanent Representative of Korea to the UN.

Conveyance   of   Presidential   Decree   to Former Indonesian Honorary Consul in Busan  and  Meeting  with  KIFA, February 2007

On 12 February 2007, at the Ambassador’s Residence, the Indonesian Embassy officially convey the Presidential Decree on the resignation of Prof. Kim Soo-il as Indonesian Honorary Consul in Busan. The Embassy's staffs and the board member of KIFA (Korea Indonesia Friendship Association) attended the meeting as well as representative from MOFAT.

In his remarks, Ambassador Jakob Tobing appreciated Prof. Kim Soo-il for his 13 years of service beyond official duties and recognized his contribution to a stronger cooperation between Indonesia and Korea. On his return remarks, Prof. Kim asserted his strong personal bound with Indonesia and its people and expressed his willingness to provide assistance even after his resignation.

The Embassy also held a meeting with board member of KIFA discussing matters regarding the promotion of Indonesia-Korea relation at people-to-people level.

ASEAN  Ambassadors'   Meeting  with  H.E. Song Min-soon, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, February 2007

On 2 February 2007, H.E. Mr. Song Min-soon invited ASEAN Ambassadors to the Republic of Korea for a luncheon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

At the luncheon, Minister Song recognizes the maturity of the ASEAN towards the 40th years of solid cooperation in 2007, and is determined to enhance the relations between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea.

On the 7 February 2007, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade held a diplomatic reception for ambassadors and representatives of international organizations in Seoul.

Coffee Morning, January 2007

Indonesia hosted the Coffee Morning programme on 16 January 2007. Coffee Morning is a monthly gathering of the Spouses of Head of Mission in Seoul. The programme were held at the Ambassador's Residence featuring Indonesian traditional and modern textiles, costumes, dance and foods.