The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) at the fifth Summit of Halal 20, which opened in Indonesia.
The deal follows up on President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Jakarta in March and covers technical cooperation and information sharing on certification systems.
Imported food, beverages and cosmetics will need halal certification from Oct. 18, confirming they contain no pork, alcohol or other ingredients forbidden under Islamic law.
Indonesia's population of about 280 million is roughly 87 percent Muslim, making Halal a critical factor for imports, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation.
"Indonesia is a core halal market with great potential for expanding K-food and K-beauty exports," said Oh Yu-kyoung, minister of food and drug safety.
She said Seoul would widen government-to-government cooperation with major Islamic countries to help Korean firms win certification.
Korean food exports to Indonesia reached $123.3 million in the first half of the year, with instant noodle shipments jumping 28.9 percent from a year earlier to $11.78 million, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Experts said the paperwork, which tracks everything from additives to logistics, could weigh on smaller exporters.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety signed a halal certification cooperation pact with Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) on Sept. 18, 2026, at the fifth Halal 20 Summit.
- Indonesia will require halal certification for imported food, beverages and cosmetics from Oct. 18, 2026, covering a population of about 280 million, roughly 87 percent of whom are Muslim.
- Paris Baguette and Daesang have already certified their Indonesian operations, while Korean food exports to Indonesia rose about 8 percent to $128.87 million in January-August 2026.
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