April 22, 2026 | 03:42 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto is seeking to bring more K-Pop groups to Indonesia, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Sugiono during a press conference on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
The plan emerged after the head of state visited South Korea to discuss cooperation between the two countries in early April.
"In a conversation conveyed specifically for K-pop fans, Bapak President planned to increase the number of K-pop concerts [in Indonesia]," Sugiono said on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Minister Sugiono admitted to being surprised after learning there are Indonesian citizens who are members of K-pop groups in South Korea. "Forgive my ignorance," he said.
Prabowo had the opportunity to meet with Indonesian member of K-Pop group Hearts2Hearts, Carmen, during his trip to South Korea on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. This moment was shared by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung through a post on his Instagram social media account.
In one of his posts, President Lee and President Prabowo were seen taking a photo with Carmen, standing on either side of her while making a finger heart—a common gesture used by K-Pop stars and their fans.
Carmen, born in Bali's Denpasar on March 28, 2006, is one of the new faces representing Indonesia in the K-Pop industry. Nyoman Ayu Carmenita, her full name, is the first Indonesian idol to debut under SM Entertainment, one of the country's largest idol agencies.
During the meeting with President Lee and President Prabowo, Carmen attended as one of the guests at the Indonesia-South Korea state luncheon held at Cheong Wa Dae, also known as the Blue House, the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Korea.
Read: Prabowo Meets K-Pop Idol Carmen of Hearts2Hearts During South Korea Visit
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