RI, S KOREA TO COOPERATE IN HELPING INDONESIAN WORKERS, KOREAN COMPANIES

Jakarta, Mar 6 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian and South Korean governments have agreed to cooperate in helping Indonesian workers in South Korea threatened by retrenchment, and in paying attenion to more than a thousand Korean companies operating in Indonesia.
The agreement was reached in a meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his visiting South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-Bak, at the Merdeka Palace here Friday.
"We also discussed matters in the manpower field with special reference to Indonesian workers in South Korea," President Yudhoyono said at a joint press conference with his South Korean guest.
He said there were more than 20,000 Indonesian workers in South Korea who, as a consequence of the unfavorable global economic situation, were facing the possibility of losing their jobs.
"But Indonesian workers there will get proper attention and be treated well. And I am grateful to the South Korean government for planning to devise a crash-program to help laid-off Indonesian workers," he said.
Under the crash-program. laid-off Indonesian workers would be given an opportunity to find other jobs in South Korea and not be required to return to Indonesia immediately.
Yodhoyono also said there were 1,300 South-Korean-owned companies in Indonesia employing a total of 1.5 million workers.
"We will find ways and means to enable those South Korean companies to continue their operations without having to resort to job cutting measures," Yudhoyono said.
For his part, South Korean President Lee said his government was not making any distinctions between local and foreign workers.
"The inputs we have received from President Yudhoyono will be discussed and given attention as soon as we have returned home," he said.
President Lee and his wife, Kim Yoon-ok, arrived at the Merdeka Palace at 15.00 Western Indonesia Time on Friday and were welcomed by President Yudhoyono and Mrs Ani Yudhoyono.
On Friday evening, the South Korean leader and Mrs Kim Yoon-ok will be entertained at a banquet at the Merdeka Palace.
During his stay in Indonesia until Sunday (March 8), President Lee is also scheduled to meet chief executive officers of South Korean companies operating in Indonesia.
On Saturday (March 7), he is to visit the Kalibata National Heroes' Cemetery and later in the day make successive calls on House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Agung Laksono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
Lee will also meet members of the South Korean community living in Indonesia.