In March 2024, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Seoul as part of his four-day tour to South Korea and Japan. During this, Jaishankar participated in the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on 6 March 2024. While in the second step of his visit, Jaishankar travelled to Japan.
10th Joint Commission Meeting between India and South Korea:
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reached Seoul in the first step of his visit. Where on March 6, he attended the 10th Joint Commission meeting between South Korea and India.
- External Affairs Minister Jaishankar co-chaired the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting with his counterpart Cho Tae Yul.
- India is keen to expand its strategic partnership with South Korea into new areas such as critical technologies, semiconductors and green hydrogen. This will make bilateral relations more contemporary.
- Jaishankar noted that PM Modi's 2015 visit to South Korea elevated bilateral relations to a special strategic partnership.
Relations with South Korea strengthened:
- The minister said, both the countries have progressed strongly in the last few years. We have become really important partners to each other. Our bilateral exchanges, trade, investment, defence and science and technology cooperation have all made progress in traditional areas of cooperation.
- During the meeting, Jaishankar also congratulated Cho on his appointment as Foreign Minister in December.
Need to expand relations into new areas:
- Currently both the countries are emphasizing on important and emerging technologies to make their relations more contemporary. Mainly among these
- Semiconductor
- Green Hydrogen
- Human Resource Mobility
- Nuclear Cooperation
- Supply chain flexibility.
- At the same time, similarity in the views of both the countries is increasing on the international platform. Both countries are focusing on the Indo-Pacific region. Both have a stake in stability, security and prosperity.
About South Korea:
- It is a country located in East Asia that encompasses the southern half of the Korean Peninsula.
- It is famous as 'the land of calm morning'.
- China is situated in the west of this country, Japan in the east and North Korea in the north.
- The official language of this country is Korean which is written in both Hangul and Hanja scripts.
- Capital: Seoul (world's second largest metropolitan area)
- Currency: Won
- Prime Minister: Han Duck-soo
- President: Yoon Suk Yeol