Indonesia’s ambitious Giant Sea Wall project along the northern coast of Java Island has drawn attention from international investors, particularly from China and South Korea. 

“There are some foreign investors who have shown interest,” State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

He noted that representatives from both Chinese and South Korean firms conveyed their enthusiasm directly to President Prabowo Subianto during recent meetings.

Prasetyo declined to name specific companies, but cited that Chinese parties had expressed interest during earlier discussions, while South Korean investors conveyed their intent during the recent Indonesia-Korea Forum.

President Prabowo previously estimated that the project could require a total investment of up to US$80 billion (Rp1,298 trillion). The sea wall is expected to stretch approximately 500 kilometers, from Banten in the west to Gresik in East Java, with the first phase beginning in Jakarta Bay.

Prabowo has instructed the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), to initiate the project from Jakarta, a city increasingly vulnerable to rising sea levels. The development timeline is projected to span 8 to 10 years, with initial funding needs estimated between US$8 billion and US$10 billion.

Funding for the Jakarta segment of the project will be jointly financed by the Jakarta provincial administration and the national government.

“The Jakarta administration will contribute half and the central government will cover the other half. This is mainly a necessity for Jakarta,” Prabowo said while closing the International Conference on Infrastructure at the Jakarta Convention Center on Thursday, June 12, 2025.

Indonesia has been strengthening ties with South Korea and China through various high-level economic forums. On April 28, President Prabowo hosted representatives from 19 South Korean companies under the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), which led to an additional US$1.7 billion (Rp28.6 trillion) in pledged investments for strategic projects.

Further highlighting Indonesia’s growing partnership with China, President Prabowo attended the Indonesia-China Business Reception with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on May 24, 2025 in Jakarta, part of Premier Li’s visit to Indonesia.