Korea, India stress cooperation during Park Jin's visit

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Korea, India stress cooperation during Park Jin's visit

Published: 10 Apr. 2023, 17:19 Updated: 10 Apr. 2023, 19:52

Foreign Minister Park Jin, left, shakes hands with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Foreign Minister Park Jin met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday to mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties.

Meeting in Hyderabad House in the Indian capital, Park and Jaishankar agreed to continue to cooperate closely on several multilateral platforms, including the Group of 20 and the Summit for Democracy.

“Park noted with appreciation that India, as the chair of the G20, is playing a key role in addressing global challenges, and said that Korea, as a member of the G20, would actively cooperate with India,” said the ministry in its statement.

The two discussed expanding cooperation across defense, aerospace, IT and biotechnology sectors, as well as in science and technology and supply chains.

India and Korea have a history on working together on the K-9 Vajra, a self-propelled howitzer built in India with technology from Korea’s Hanwha Defense.

Park also met with Jagdeep Dhankhar, India’s vice president, on Friday. In the meeting, the two reaffirmed their will to develop their “special strategic partnership,” based on the shared values of democracy.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs Saurabh Kumar virtually attended the Second Democracy Summit hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The ministers also discussed soft power and cultural exchanges, including the latest Oscar wins by Indian films “RRR” and “The Elephant Whisperers.”

The song “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” spawned a TikTok challenge worldwide. Many Koreans learned of it as well after the Korean embassy in New Delhi uploaded a dance cover clip starring the Korean ambassador and embassy staff.

The clip went viral, even winning a tweet from Modi.

Park on Saturday visited Chennai in south-eastern India to meet with Korean businesspeople based in the city. He also stopped by the Chennai plant of Hyundai Motor India.

Park Jin, foreign minister of Korea, right, shakes hands with an employee of the Hyundai Motor India's Chennai plant, during his visit on Friday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

“In order to promote Korea’s interest in this era of economic security, we must share strengthen cooperation on supply chain and science and technology with India, which has enormous growth potential and shares values such as democracy,” Park said in his meeting with the Korean businesspeople in Chennai.

Hyundai Motor India’s Chennai plant is one of the company’s first successful overseas investments, Park stressed, having produced around 10 million cars since the start of production in 1997.

India and Korea established ties on Dec. 10, 1973. The two countries elevated their ties to a special strategic partnership in May 2015, during Modi’s visit to Korea.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]