MEA shares glimpses of "special strategic" India-ROK ties ahead of S Korean President Lee Jae Myung's visit

In a post on X, the MEA outlined key milestones and areas of cooperation, beginning with the state visit of Korean President Lee Jae Myung to India from April 19-21 and also highlighted previous interactions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Korean President, including meetings on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Kananaskis, Canada (June 2025), and the G20 Summit, Johannesburg (Nov 2025).

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2045754631205339170

Highlighting the evolution of ties, the MEA noted that "bilateral ties elevated to Special Strategic Partnership in 2015," alongside sustained diplomatic engagement through mechanisms such as the "6th India-ROK Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (Feb 2026)" and "12th India-ROK Consultations (Mar 2026)."

Alongwith that, the MEA highlighted that a "delegation of Special Envoys from ROK visited India (Jul 2025)" and mentioned that "EAM S Jaishankar met FM (c) Cho Hyun and Vice FM Park Yoon-joo of ROK (Mar 2026)."

On economic ties, the ministry said, trade and economic cooperation is "a key pillar of bilateral relationship," adding that "bilateral trade" went "upward of USD 26 bn in 2024-25" with the "target to reach USD 50 bn by 2030."

It also noted that "ROK is India's 13th largest FDI investor with cumulative investments of USD 6.91 bn since 2000," and "over 650 Korean firms operate in India, including 6 major Korean banks with overall 20 branches."

The MEA highlighted major business engagements, stating "Reliance Industries Limited signed a landmark USD 3 bn 15-year binding agreement with South Korea's Samsung C&T (Mar 2026)" and "Cochin Shipyard Limited signed an MoU with HD KSOE (Sept 2025)," while adding that shipbuilding "is an important area of cooperation."

In defence, it noted growing naval cooperation, including "ROK Navy's Gang Gam-Chan participated in the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 and the Exercise MILAN 2026 in Vishakhapatnam" and "the first-ever India-ROK Navy Bilateral Exercise held at Busan Naval Base (Oct 2025)."

Cultural and people-to-people ties were also underscored. The MEA said, "around 18,000 Indians live in ROK," and highlighted historical links, noting "Princess Suriratna from Ayodhya went to Korea in 48 AD and became the queen." It added that "yoga is highly popular in the Republic of Korea," with initiatives such as "Embassy of India" organising "Seoul Yoga Connect at Namsan-gol Hanok Village (Apr 2026)."

The ministry also pointed to cultural exchanges, including "11th edition of Sarang held in Seoul (Oct 2025)" and "13th Indian Film Festival held in various cities of ROK (Nov 2025)." It further noted that "Rabindranath Tagore composed a poem, 'Lamp of the East', reflecting Korea's cultural legacy and its bright future."

According to the MEA, tourism flows have also increased, with the MEA stating that Indian tourists in the ROK were over 187,000 in number for the year 2025, while the Korean Tourists in India were nearly 112,000 in number for the year 2024.

The three-day visit of the Korean President from April 19 to 21 aims to deepen the "Special Strategic Partnership" between India and South Korea, with a focus on defence, high-tech manufacturing and regional security.

The President's itinerary is packed with high-level engagements designed to solidify ties between Seoul and New Delhi. Upon his arrival at the Air Force Station (AFS) Palam, the South Korean leader will be greeted with the protocol befitting a close strategic ally, as per the statement from MEA.

His first major engagement will be a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to set the stage for the executive talks to follow. On Monday, the President will receive a formal Ceremonial Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan before paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

The centrepiece of the visit will be a bilateral summit at Hyderabad House, where President Lee will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)