Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung studied law at the "Rechtshogeschool" (School of Law, predecessor of the law faculty of Universitas Indonesia) in Batavia (now Jakarta) and obtained a Doctorate of History in the Netherlands. He served as the premier for Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekawati, a key figure in the East Indonesian government based in Sulawesi. In this role, he played a decisive part in the Round Table Conference that finally led to Dutch recognition of Indonesia's independence. Following the transfer of sovereignty on December 27, 1949, Agung served as a member of the short-lived RUSI Cabinet where he served as Minister of the Interior. Due to his Federalist sympathies, he politically feuded with Sukarno who advocated a unitary Republic of Indonesia. Following the abolition of the federal system in 1950, he served as the Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium, followed by successive appointments as Ambassador to Luxembourg, Portugal, France and Austria. During the Sukarno presidency, Agung served as Indonesia's Foreign Minister between 1955 and 1956, and was a participant in the West New Guinea dispute. Later, he was imprisoned by the Sukarno regime between 1962 and 1966 but was never brought to trial.