Jakarta, INTI - Indonesia and South Korea delegations initiated the development of "Indonesia–Korea Carbon Corridor" to provide broader access for national carbon projects to global markets, investment, and partnerships.
Heppy Trenggono, Founder & CEO of PT Visi Carbon Indonesia (VCarboN) Group, emphasized that the Indonesia–South Korea cooperation will use a business-to-business (B2B) model and will maintain integrity and sovereignty, and maximize economic benefits for Indonesia.
Heppy, representing several players in Indonesia's carbon project industry, took a strategic step to establish the "Indonesia–Korea Carbon Corridor" on July 23–24, 2026. The meeting was to discuss investment opportunities and the development of nature-based carbon cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea.
During the visit, the Indonesian delegation met with Dr. Chongho Park, Executive Director of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), and former Minister of Forestry of Korea. As well as Sunpil Jin, Vice Executive Director of AFoCO. The delegation also held discussions with SK Multi Utility CEO Nam-Kyu (Kyle) Kim and SK Gas staff, Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO) Project Director Minho Kim, and Green Harbor Investment CEO Jason SeokHyun Yun and his management team.
Opportunity in the carbon Market
Heppy stated that demand for carbon credits from South Korea is expected to surge in the next two years.
"Therefore, Indonesia must seize this opportunity immediately. Because the supply of high-integrity carbon will be very difficult," he emphasized.
Heppy explained that the discussions focused on investment opportunities in Indonesia's nature-based carbon sector, the development of high-integrity carbon projects, and the implementation of bilateral cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
According to Heppy, this momentum is increasingly important after Indonesia and South Korea established a cooperative framework to support carbon collaboration. He believes the growing interest from various South Korean institutions demonstrates that the need for decarbonization solutions has shifted from simply purchasing carbon credits to long-term partnerships.
"Indonesia has great potential to become a strategic partner for South Korea in supporting the decarbonization agenda through nature-based carbon projects with strong governance and integrity," he said.
He added that the meeting was the first step in building collaboration that connects the potential of Indonesian carbon projects with South Korea's investment, technology, and decarbonization needs.
Heppy hopes this initiative can become the foundation for a long-term relationship between Indonesia and South Korea in the carbon economy sector. "We hope this initiative can encourage investment, project development, and mutually beneficial climate cooperation for both countries," he said.
South Korea’s Targets
According to VCarboN data, South Korea is targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 53% reduction in emissions by 2035, with the industrial sector targeted to cut emissions by 24.3%. The country has also operated the Carbon Trading Exchange since 2015, the first emissions trading system in East Asia, covering approximately 75% of national greenhouse gas emissions. For the fourth emissions trading period, South Korea set an emissions limit of approximately 2.54 billion tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) over the next five years.
Previously, on June 6, 2024, Indonesia and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which opens opportunities for companies from both countries to develop emissions reduction projects in Indonesia with funding support from the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources.
Conclusion
The Indonesian delegation initiated the establishment of the "Indonesia–Korea Carbon Corridor" to expand access for national carbon projects to markets, investment, and global partnerships through a business-to-business (B2B) scheme. VCarboN Group Founder & CEO Heppy Trenggono said the initiative includes the development of high-integrity nature-based carbon projects and the implementation of cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, in line with South Korea's increasing need for decarbonization.
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