Indonesia awarded former Navy chief and retired Adm. Kim Sung-chan the Southeast Nation’s most prestigious medal of merit in a ceremony at the Indonesian chancery in Yeouido, Seoul on Friday.

Indonesian Ambassador to Korea John Prasetio, who arrived in Korea on Oct. 5 and will present his Letter of Credence at Cheong Wa Dae on Dec. 6, presented Kim with the Bintang Jalasena Utama Award, the highest naval honor that Indonesia can bestow.

Kim became Korea’s Navy chief in early 2010 and led Korean naval forces when it suffered its two of the military’s greatest blows since the Korean War ― the sinking of the Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeongdo.

Prasetio credited Kim, who was elected to the 19th National Assembly in April shortly after retiring from a 40-year career in the Navy, as a key figure behind the most robust defense cooperation ever between Korea and Indonesia.

“I still remember vividly the many days I spent with my Indonesian friends as we put our heads together on the development and cooperation of our navies,” Kim said. Korea and Indonesia raised bilateral relations to “strategic partnership” in 2006, a first for Korea with a Southeast Asian nation.

Indonesian diplomats focused praise on a grant by Korea’s Navy of a LVT7 A-1 military vehicle to the Indonesian marine corps and joint training of Indonesian submarine personnel.

Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Korea are growing steadily in trade and investment, as well as military cooperation, Prasetio said.

Hallmarks of recent Korea-Indonesian cooperation include mutual visits by high-level naval officers, warship ports of call, student officer exchanges, increased cooperation in defense procurement and the training and provision of technicians in repairing submarines.

Kim said the fact that a Korean company was selected by the Indonesian navy to strengthen the war potential of its submarines is a result of confidence building and cooperation accumulated between the sea forces of the two countries.

The training took place while Indonesia’s submarine Nanggala received repairs at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in 2010 and 2011.

The occasion was attended by officials form the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Navy and officials from DSME and Korea Aerospace Industries.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)