The phenomenon of divorce among Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) has become a social problem that impacts family resilience and community harmony. The high divorce rate in Bringinan Village, Jambon District, Ponorogo Regency, prompted the village government to introduce the Gembok Katresnan Program as a symbol-based persuasive communication innovation. This program uses a "padlock" to represent the commitment and loyalty of a married couple. This study aims to analyze the application of persuasive communication in the program and identify various obstacles in its implementation. This study uses the symbolic interaction theory proposed by Herbert Blumer (1969), which encompasses meaning, language, and thought. The study was conducted using a descriptive qualitative approach through data collection techniques such as interviews, observation, documentation, and data analysis using an interactive model and source triangulation. The research findings indicate that the Gembok Katresnan Program is successful as a persuasive communication tool in raising public awareness of the importance of loyalty formed through social interaction. This program has also succeeded in fostering community participation and fostering communication between the village government and residents, although challenges remain, including a lack of community understanding and long-distance communication issues among migrant workers (PMI) families.
Keywords: Persuasive Communication, Symbolic Interactionism, Katresnan Padlock, Symbolic Meaning, Divorce