India-South Korea Relations

Context- Chief of the Army Staff of India, General Manoj Pande, recently visited the Republic of Korea.

Key Highlights

• The deep-rooted connections between India and South Korea (RoK) can be traced again to 48 AD, as documented within the thirteenth-century Korean text “SamgukYusa.”
• It tells the story of Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya (later Queen Heo Hwang-good enough), who married King Kim-Suro of the historical Gaya Confederacy in Korea.
• Diplomatic members of the family set up in 1973, further bolstered to a “Special Strategic Partnership” in 2015.
• Year 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic members of the family between India and RoK. 

Areas of Cooperation

• Economic Cooperation:

• • • FDI: South Korea is the 13th largest foreign direct funding (FDI) source in India, investing US$ 5.4 billion between April 2000 to December 2022, as per Invest India.
    • Companies like Samsung, LG, and Hyundai have established manufacturing and service centers.
    • Bilateral change: It has grown significantly, achieving over $17 billion in 2013 and exceeding $23 billion in 2022.
    • CEPA: India and Korea signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2010, further boosting alternate and investment.

• Technological cooperation:

• • • Both countries are actively worried about expertise sharing and joint studies projects in areas like records technology, biotechnology, and renewable power.
    • cooperation in area exploration and satellite generation is also gaining momentum.

• Security and Defense:

• • • Regular navy exchanges and joint sports to beautify cooperation and information on nearby protection troubles.
    • Partnerships in defense generation improvement and procurement.

• Cultural and Educational Exchange:

• • Growing popularity of Korean popular culture (K-pop) and dramas in India, fostering cultural expertise and those-to-people exchanges.
  • Increasing student mobility and academic partnerships between universities in both international locations.

Challenges

• Rising nationalism and protectionist inclinations in both countries can pose challenges to further economic integration.
• North Korea’s nuclear programremains a concern for both India and South Korea, requiring coordinated efforts for local balance.
• The emerging coalition of North Korea, China, and Russia poses a new severe assignment to collaborative efforts among the 2 international locations.
• Divergent stances might also arise, necessitating a nuanced appraisal of each birthday celebration’s strategic imperatives.
• A mission is the absence of a shared vision for a brand new comprehensive defence framework to assemble a singular and sustainable rising local order. 
• The unwavering attention of the Korean defence establishment on profit-driven guns income to India, devoid of strategic concerns, might also show shortsighted in the face of fast-converting geopolitical dynamics. 

Measures

• Explore technological collaboration: Leveraging their technological skills, India and South Korea should intend to collaborate in developing superior defence structures and systems. 
• Explore opportunities: In a generation where defence against area struggle, statistics warfare, and cybersecurity is paramount, both international locations can in addition explore possibilities for cooperation.
• Tech arena: Given Korea’s fame as a sophisticated high-tech digital superpower, big opportunities exist inside the improvement of robust security measures to efficiently counter emerging threats within the virtual domain.
• Counter terrorism: Strengthening coordinated efforts to counter terrorism aligns seamlessly with the shared concerns of India and South Korea. 
• Maritime protection: There is capability for cooperation in maritime protection, which include joint patrolling and information sharing, given the substantial maritime interests each country has within the Indian Ocean.
• Peacekeeping and physical games: India and South Korea can leverage their United Nations peacekeeping expertise for collaborative efforts via sharing insights and resources in peacekeeping operations. 

Way Ahead

• The imperative for India and Korea is to transcend the confines of bilateral cooperation, and embrace a paradigm shift that cultivates a more profound knowledge of their roles within the rapidly evolving global state of affairs.
• A strategic, balanced technique, coupled with adaptability to the evolving geopolitical panorama is fundamental to unlocking a strong and enduring defence cooperation. 
• Overall, India and South Korea have a sturdy and multifaceted partnership. Addressing present demanding situations and exploring new avenues of cooperation will in addition improve this strategic relationship in the years to come.

Source: The Hindu

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