Korea’s Trade Minister Yoon Sang-jick held talks with his Indonesian counterpart Gita Irawan Wirjawan on issues of mutual concern in Seoul on Thursday, according to ministry officials.

They were the first minister-level talks with a foreign country since the Park Geun-hye administration was inaugurated last month.

The choice of Indonesia as the first country reflects the government’s view to seek further expansion of industrial and energy partnership with rising economies, according to experts.

Resource-affluent Indonesia, which is one of the fastest-growing Southeast Asian economies, is in talks with Korea for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which is similar to a free trade agreement.

(jyseo@heraldcorp.com)