EAM Jaishankar meets South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun in Seoul, reviews partnership across trade, defence, clean energy
Seoul, June 24
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for a high-level two-day visit, reaffirming the ties between the two nations.
Upon his arrival in Seoul, Jaishankar met with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun and held key discussions over cooperation between the two countries across various sectors and opportunities to expand the bilateral ties.
In a post on X, Jaishankar expressed elation over his meeting with Foreign Minister Hyun, with both sides continuing the discussions done during South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to India earlier in April, where they agreed on the Joint Strategic Vision for implementing and adding further content to the India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership in the next five years (2026-2030).
"Pleased to meet @FMChoHyun of RoK in Seoul today. Our discussions followed upon the outcomes of recent visit of President @Jaemyung_Lee to India. We reviewed our cooperation across political, shipbuilding, trade, investments, defence, technology, clean energy, culture and P2P domains. As well as opportunities in startups, fintech and multilateral fora. Also exchanged views on development in our respective regions and around the world," Jaishankar wrote on X.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France. The leaders discussed deepening ties across trade, commerce and futuristic sectors.
Soon after meeting PM Modi, the South Korean President noted in a post on X that the two countries are eyeing to deepen the scope of their collaboration.
"Prime Minister Modi and I have agreed to strengthen cooperation in all aspects--economic, cultural, and social--between Korea and India going forward, and to develop our two countries into a new relationship," Myung said.
Prior to his South Korea visit, EAM Jaishankar was in Mongolia on Monday, reaffirming the deep-rooted strategic and spiritual ties between the two nations.
As part of a broader four-day diplomatic tour covering Mongolia and South Korea, Jaishankar's visit is aimed at injecting new momentum into a relationship that has evolved into a "strategic partnership of spiritual neighbours."
Upon his arrival in Ulaanbaatar, Jaishankar called on Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa. During the meeting, the EAM conveyed official greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reflecting on the momentum established during President Ukhnaa's visit to India last year, Jaishankar noted that the two leaders shared a common vision for the future of the partnership."Value his guidance on advancing our strong cooperation in a wide range of sectors. Fully agree with him that the greatest friendship is spiritual friendship," Jaishankar stated in a post on X.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The clean energy and startup collaborations are especially exciting. We need more such partnerships to boost our innovation ecosystem. But I hope the government also focuses on making these deals beneficial for our local industries, not just big corporates.
South Korea is a key partner in the Indo-Pacific. With China's assertiveness, it's smart for India to deepen ties with Seoul. The shipbuilding and defence cooperation mentioned is very strategic. Well done, EAM! 👏
I wish there was more focus on cultural exchanges. So many of us love K-dramas and Korean food, and they appreciate Bollywood and yoga. People-to-people ties can be a huge force multiplier for this partnership. But overall, good progress!
Interesting to see India balancing its ties with Mongolia and South Korea. The spiritual connection with Mongolia is unique and often overlooked. Good diplomacy by Jaishankar covering both soft power and hard strategic interests.
The Joint Strategic Vision for 2026-2030 sounds ambitious. Let's hope it translates into real job creation in India, especially in manufacturing and tech sectors. South Korean companies like Samsung and Hyundai already have a big presence here—more collaboration means more opportunities for our youth! 💪
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