INDIA - SOUTH KOREA RELATIONS – INTERNATIONAL
News: Chennai celebrates 50 years of bilateral relations between India and
South Korea
What's in the news?
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Recently, 50 years of
bilateral relations between India and South Korea was celebrated in Chennai.
India - South Korea bilateral Relations:
Political relations:
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In May 2015, the
bilateral relationship was upgraded to ‘special strategic partnership’.
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India has a major role to
play in South Korea’s Southern Policy under which Korea is looking at expanding
relations beyond its immediate region.
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Similarly, South Korea is
a major player in India’s Act East Policy under which India aims to promote
economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationships with
countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Economic relations:
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India and South Korea set
a bilateral trade target of $50 billion before 2030,
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India and South Korea
have signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), 2010 which
has facilitated the growth of trade relations.
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To facilitate investment
from Korea, India has launched a “Korea Plus” facilitation cell under ‘Invest
India’ to guide, assist and handhold investors.
Cultural relations:
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Korean Buddhist Monk
Hyecho or Hong Jiao visited India from 723 to 729 AD and wrote the travelog
“Pilgrimage to the five kingdoms of India” which gives a vivid account of
Indian culture, politics & society.
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Nobel Laureate
Rabindranath Tagore had composed a short but evocative poem – ‘Lamp of the
East’ – in 1929 about Korea’s glorious past and its promising bright future.
Importance of India to South Korea:
1. One of the
points that the Koreans have been making to India is that they see India as a
country that is now strategically important to them.
2. South Korea
also finds India a very acceptable partner.
3. India doesn’t
have edges which can create problems for them. They are aware of one factor
which they have grown up with, which is the Pakistan factor.
4. With new issues
cropping up in ties with China and America, export-driven South Korea must find
new markets.
5. South Korea’s
economic growth has slowed, presenting it with important challenges.
6. South Korea is
targeting economies with the greatest growth potential like India.
7. South Korea is
too heavily dependent on China’s market. So diversification is essential for
South Korea.
8. Need
cooperation for development in third countries, like capacity building
programmes in Africa.
Challenges in the relations:
1. Inadequate Trade: In the last few
years, India and South Korea have faced serious blockades to their economic
ties. Trade between the two countries was sluggish and there was no major
inflow of South Korean investment into India.
2. Indian Diaspora: Within South Korea,
the integration of Indians in the local population is far from complete, with
some instances of racial prejudice or discrimination toward Indians.
3. Inadequate acknowledgment of Korean
Culture: To a certain extent Indians are unable to distinguish between the
cultural and social characteristics of South Koreans from that of
Japanese/Chinese.
4. Unfulfilled potential of Cultural Centers:
Indian Culture Center (ICC) was established in Seoul to promote
people-to-people contacts.
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However, ICC has to reach
an exponentially wider audience and its focus has to expand beyond the urban,
English-speaking elite of Seoul.
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The same may be
applicable to South Korean culture centers in India.
5. Multi-dimensional challenges: The
current emerging alignment between India and South Korea, which has the
potential to bring the two countries closer together, may prove short-lived if
proper attention is not paid to the multi-dimensional challenges it faces.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Strategic partnership: India has
evolved excellent strategic partnerships with Japan, Vietnam and Australia.
2. South Korea
could be the fourth pillar in India’s Indo-Pacific strategy along with Japan,
Australia, and Vietnam.
3. This can bring
about a paradigm shift in India’s position and influence in the region.
4. The time has
come for the Indian and South Korean bilateral partnership to be strategically
scaled up at the political, diplomatic and security domain levels.
5. With South
Korea’s emergence as a leader in critical technologies, cybersecurity and
cyber-capacity building, outer space and space situational awareness
capabilities, South Korea can contribute immensely to enhance India’s
foundational strengths in the Indo-Pacific.
6. India can help
South Korea withstand Chinese pressure and North Korean threats.
7. This new
partnership can have a long-term positive impact for both countries and the
Indo-Pacific region.
8. It is an
opportunity that neither country can afford to miss.