New Delhi: Seoul is keen on securing a bilateral visit for President Yoon Suk Yeol to India in early 2024, according to persons aware of the matter.
While Yoon visited India for the G20 summit in September, a bilateral visit is expected to push certain key initiatives in the relationship. These include prospective cooperation on advanced technologies, trade and a migration and mobility agreement.
Queries mailed to the External Affairs Ministry and the South Korean Embassy in New Delhi were not answered at press time.
Cooperation in critical and emerging technologies has been a focus of bilateral ties. The matter was discussed during deputy national security adviser Vikram Misri’s meeting with South Korea’s foreign minister Park Jin in Seoul this August. The latter also visited India in April, focusing on trade, investment and technology cooperation.
India and South Korea are discussing a migration agreement for Indian talent, which is likely to be concluded under an established government mechanism on migration, which is different from the more comprehensive migration pacts India has signed with Germany, Australia and the UK.
A large number of Indian scholars are pursuing post-graduate and PhD programmes in South Korea, largely in pure sciences. During the past few years, many professionals mainly in the areas of IT, shipping and automobile have immigrated to the country.
This proposed visit also comes as part of South Korea’s efforts to cultivate more partners, given that competition between the US and China has sharpened considerably in recent years.
“We will advance our special strategic partnership with India, a leading regional partner with shared values. India presents great potential for growth, having the world’s second largest population and cutting-edge IT and space technologies,” reads South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Source : Mint
