EAM S Jaishankar for extending ties with Korea in critical, emerging technologies

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, March 6

In meetings with South Korea’s top leadership during his Seoul visit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called for expanding India’s strategic partnership in new areas like critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors and green hydrogen to make the bilateral ties more contemporary.

The conversations covered the expanded bilateral ties, cooperation in the field of defence, science and technology, business and trade, people-to-people exchange and cultural cooperation, said Jaishankar while co-chairing the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul.

Steady growth

We have become truly important partners for each other and our bilateral exchanges, trade, investments, defence and science and technology cooperation have all seen a steady growth. —S Jaishankar, EAM

“Also spoke of advancing trilateral cooperation. Exchanged views on the developments in the Indo-Pacific, our convergences to challenges in the region and regional & global issues of mutual interest,’’ Jaishankar posted on X.

Pointing out that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to South Korea in 2015 the bilateral relations were elevated to a special strategic partnership, Jaishankar said, “It is important that we live up to that. We have grown from strength to strength in the years that have passed. We have become truly important partners for each other and our bilateral exchanges, trade, investments, defence and science and technology cooperation have all seen a steady growth while keeping up the momentum in the traditional areas of cooperation.’’

“We would be very much interested now in expanding into new areas, such as critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, green hydrogen, human resource mobility, nuclear cooperation and supply chain resilience, to make our ties more contemporary,” he added.

Jaishankar also met a delegation led by the Mayor of Gimhae City, which was made Sister City of Ayodhya in 2001. “India shares an ancient bond of kinship with the Korean people, manifested by Princess Suriratna from Ayodhya, who is known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok in South Korea,” said an MEA statement.

According to Korean legend, a teenage princess from Ayodhya crossed the ocean in a boat some 2,000 years ago, sailed 4,500 km to Korea and married King Kim Suro who founded the Gaya Kingdom in the north Asian country.

Jaishankar also received from the revered Monk Domyung a book penned by him on Korea’s historical and cultural association with ancient India and Buddhism. He also visited a special exhibition showcasing India’s rich Buddhist heritage at the prestigious National Museum of Korea.

He also interacted with representatives of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea and urged them to strengthen the business bridge between India and South Korea.

The External Affairs Minister was in Seoul on the first leg of his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.