by Turin Airlangga, Waseda - ULB

This research focuses on Indonesia's Cold War foreign policy towards North Korea from the declaration of Indonesia's independence in 1945, the Korean War economic boom that Indonesia enjoyed in the 1950s, the establishment of Jakarta-Pyongyang Axis, to the subsequent shift of Cold War political ideology in Indonesia after the fall of Sukarno's regime in 1965. It will elaborate on the foundation of bilateral relations between the two countries, why did the bilateral relations emerge, the levels of cooperation it covered, and why did, despite Indonesia's sudden collapse of Sukarno's leftist regime, Indonesia still maintained diplomatic relations with communist North Korea. The project tries to reveal how Indonesia's political-security perceptions and Jakarta's subsequent understanding of the international environment have driven their policy-making formulations with the Socialist Bloc, and specifically with the North Korean regime; to a greater extent, how did the domestic political struggles between the Indonesian Nationalists, Communists, and the Army gave significant repercussions to Jakarta-Pyongyang relations and the communist world.

Turin has a keen interest in International Relations, regionalism, security studies and specifically in Indonesian Cold War History. Prior to his admittance to the PhD program at Waseda University, Turin worked at the Embassy of Mexico as a political affairs staff and at the Embassy of Brazil as a staff for the Naval Attaché; these experiences have enriched his political learning on practical level. His research interests are related to Area studies, regional integration, and contemporary politics between Europe and Southeast Asia.

Friday 26th March 2021, 12:30pm - 14:00pm

On Teams

To register, contact Virginie Arantes