Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to receive visiting South Korean Economic Minister Choi Joong Kyung at his office here on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa said South Korea was interested in participating in infrastructure development in Indonesia, including the construction of the Sunda Strait bridge.

Hatta said South Korea`s interest in infrastructure projects in Indonesia was discussed at his meeting with South Korean Economic Minister Choi Joong Kyung in Bali on Wednesday.

"At the meeting, the South Korean economic minister expressed his country`s support for the implementation of the Indonesian Economic Development Acceleration Master Plan (MP3EI)," Hatta said here on Thursday.

Speaking after a coordination meeting to discuss traffic congestion problem in several major Indonesian cities, Hatta said South Korea was interested in a number of infrastructure projects in Indonesia, including the Sunda Strait bridge project.

According to him, Choi Joong Kyung was specifically sent by the South Korean president to Indonesia to discuss projects Seoul is interested in.

"South Korea expressed its specific interest in participating in the Sunda Strait bridge project, and wanted Indonesia to consider it," Hatta said.

He added that South Korea was probably interested not only in being a contractor in the Sunda Strait bridge project but also in other projects.

"But we have yet to discuss the terms for partcipation in the projects ," Hatta said, adding that the value of investment in the projects reached around US$20 billion.

It is mainly in six region-based corridors, namely Sumatra and northern part of West Java, eastern part of Java norther coast, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua, eastern part of Java plus Bali with Nusa Tenggara.

Some South Korean companies that have expressed commitment to investing in Indonesia are among others Hankook in tire industry with an investment of US$1.2 billion, Lotte in petrochemical project with US$5 billion, LG and Samsung with investment of US$1 billion. (*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011