More to know about SOUTH KOREA - Relationship with India

Relationship between India and Korea

Relations between Republic of Korea and India have made great strides recently and have become truly multidimensional, spurred by a significant convergence of interests, mutual goodwill and high-level exchanges. Bilateral consular relations were established in 1962 which were upgraded to Ambassador-level in 1973.

According to "Samguk Yusa" or "Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms" written in the 13th century by Monk Iryeon, a Princess from Ayodhya came to Korea, married King Kim-Suro from Gaya, and became Queen Huh Hwang-ok in the year 48 AD. Almost seven million Koreans, representing the Gimhae Kim clan, Huh clan and Incheon Yi clan, trace their ancestry to this royal couple. Korean Buddhist Monk Hyecho (704-787 CE) or Hong Jiao visited India from 723 to 729 AD and wrote travelogue "Pilgrimage to the five kingdoms of India" which gives a vivid account of Indian culture, politics & society.

In 1929 Nobel-laureate Rabindranath Tagore made a passionate reference to Korea’s illustrious past at a pivotal juncture in Korean history. He wrote a poem called “The Lamp of the East” that can be found on the pedestal of his bust in Dehangro, Jongno District, Seoul and in most Korean history textbooks. It gave inspiration to Korea when it was fighting for independence from Japanese rule. The poem is as follows:

“In the Golden Age of Asia,

Korea was one of the lamp-bearers

                                                 That lamp awaits to be lighted once again,

                                                        For the illumination of the East”

During the Korean War (1950-53), both the warring sides accepted a resolution sponsored by India, and the ceasefire was declared on 27 July 1953. The 60th Indian Parachute Field Ambulance Unit (medical mission) treated an estimated 2.2 lakh patients during Korean war. As marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean war, Lt. Col A.G. Rangaraj, leading the medical unit, is being celebrated as the ‘Korean War Hero for the month’ in July 2020.

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Republic of Korea and India was operationalized on 1st January 2010. President Lee paid a landmark visit to India, as Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations on 26 January 2010, when bilateral ties were raised to the level of Strategic Partnership. It was followed by President Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil's state visit in July 2011 when the Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement was signed. Prime Minister Modi paid a state visit to Korea in May 2015. During the visit the bilateral relationship was upgraded to ‘special strategic partnership’.

India is a key focus area in South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s New Southern Policy (NSP) which complements Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on an Act East Policy (AEP). President Moon’s NSP is an initiative to raise Korea’s ties with ASEAN and India to the level of Seoul’s relations with the four major powers –   USA, China, Japan and Russia. He came to India for a four-day tour – the longest by a leader of either country in 2018. President Moon’s visit to India in July, 2018 and Prime Minster Modi’s visit to Korea in February 2019 have helped to bring the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries to the highest level ever. President Moon and Prime Minister Modi signed a document to facilitate negotiations to upgrade the CEPA and set a goal of raising bilateral trade from current USD 20 billion to USD 50 billion by 2030. They inaugurated Samsung Electronics’ new mobile phone manufacturing facility – The World’s Largest Mobile Factory – in Noida, Uttar Pradesh in July 2018. In his recent visit to Korea, Prime Minister Modi unveiled Mahatma Gandhi’s bust at Yonsei University with President Moon and was awarded the 2018 Seoul Peace Prize.

At the opening ceremony for the Diwali festival 2018, the First Lady Kim Jung-sook was invited as a chief guest, and lit lotus lanterns at the lamp-lighting ceremony in front of the Saryu River and set them adrift. She also attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Queen Huh Hwang-ok Memorial that marks a start on the upgrade of the monument – a joint project between South Korea and India.

Korean exports to India recorded an all-time high of USD 15.62 billion in 2018. Major Korean conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai Motors and LG have made significant investments into India, estimated at over $4 billion. There are officially more than 600 Korean firms in India. Kia Motors Corp. has a production facility in Andhra Pradesh with annual capacity of 300,000 cars. Indian government has created, a ‘Korea Plus’ mechanism under the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) to boost the presence of South Korean companies in India. Indian investments in Korea have already exceeded $2 billion. Many South Korean brands have become so ubiquitous in India that by some estimates around 150 million Indians use a Samsung product every day, from a Samsung mobile phone, a Hyundai vehicle or an LG home device.

KBS World, the English Channel of Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), the national public broadcaster of South Korea is now available in India on the DD free dish of Prasar Bharati as a result of recent MOU made in 2019. In return, DD India news channel is available at KBS’s OTT platform ‘My K’. A Bollywood film named -

Bharat starring Salman Khan was an official remake of the 2014 Korean blockbuster, Ode to My Father.  It was the fourth biggest Bollywood hit of 2019. Another Salman Khan movie named Radhe is the official adaptation of 2017 Korean crime thriller, The Outlaws.

Korean Cultural Center opened in New Delhi, India on December 13, 2012. This is the first Korean Cultural Center to be opened in West-South Asia. Indian Cultural Centre opened in Seoul in April 2011 and in Busan in Dec 2013. Many Indian Universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University offer programs in Korea Studies and Korean Language Courses. Indira Gandhi National Open University started Certificate in Korean Language and Culture Program from July 2018. Two Korean Universities, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul and Busan University of Foreign Studies have Indian Studies Departments. Delhi and Seoul have also signed a twin city agreement. Korean Air and Air India have direct flights between Delhi & Seoul.

Know More Information related to South Korea

Know More Information related to South Korea

Click the Link below:

1. About South Korea

      READ MORE  

2. Culture of South Korea

      READ MORE  

3. Tradition and Holidays of Korea

      READ MORE  

4. Relation between India and Korea

      READ MORE  

5. Tourism in Korea

      READ MORE  

6. Korean Language

      READ MORE  

7. Conclusion

      READ MORE  

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get notified about the latest news, amazing facts, and many more at INFINITE VIVEK.

🛩️ Fly to our official Telegram Group.

  SUBSCRIBE