Five decades full of 'flavor'

On December 10th, India and South Korea celebrated the 50th anniversary of their tumultuous bilateral relationship (1973-2023).

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023. (Source: ANI)

In a statement marking this special occasion, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his hope to strengthen the special strategic partnership with India. Writing on social media platform X, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed that the India-South Korea relationship is “a journey of mutual respect, shared values, and a growing partnership.”

From "cold" to "warm"

Despite India's pivotal role in preventing the Korean War, the Cold War strained India's relations with South Korea. Initially, India's 1973 initiative to establish relations with South Korea was seen merely as a diplomatic gesture, with little expectation of significant progress.

However, the end of the Cold War marked a crucial turning point. Impressed by the rapid economic growth of East Asian countries, Asian leaders, particularly in India, began to take a deep interest in the success of South Korea and Japan. At the same time, as Seoul sought new markets for its export-dependent economy, its political and business leaders increasingly focused their attention on India.

Driven by shared interests, India and South Korea have forged a new network of agreements, fostering the strengthening of their relations.

A significant milestone was the visit of South Korean President Kim Young Sam to New Delhi in February 1996, where the Future-Oriented Partnership Agreement was signed, setting a target of increasing bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2000. Following this, the leaders of the two countries signed an agreement to establish the Korea-India Joint Committee, focusing on strengthening trade, investment, and cultural relations.

In 2004, during South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's visit to India, the two sides established a Long-Term Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, aiming to increase trade volume to US$10 billion by 2008. A year later, they signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into effect in January 2010.

Notably, as the partnership developed against a backdrop of a rapidly changing world, both India and South Korea became more strategically cautious. In this context, in 2010, New Delhi and Seoul established a Strategic Partnership, which included cooperation in border security and defense.

Five years later, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership, establishing a framework for annual high-level meetings through bilateral visits and multilateral forums. Seoul and New Delhi initiated the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue on diplomacy and defense.

The last time the leaders of the two countries met was in September 2023, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. There, President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to strengthen their special strategic partnership. At the same time, the two leaders pledged to continue contributing to regional peace and stability through harmonious cooperation between South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy and India's Act East policy.

In the area of ​​economic and trade cooperation, negotiations to revise the CEPA have begun to address growing concerns on both sides.

Meanwhile, New Delhi expressed interest in Seoul's increasingly advanced weapons systems. This paved the way for a $650 million agreement to export South Korea's K9 self-propelled howitzers to India, along with discussions about potential joint ventures to manufacture the weapons systems in the South Asian country.

Facing obstacles

Despite these achievements, both sides still face numerous long-standing obstacles.

Firstly, despite efforts, negotiations to revise the CEPA remain deadlocked due to the unwillingness of both sides to compromise on each other's demands. In this context, some fear that India and South Korea may not achieve their $50 billion trade target by 2030. South Korean investment in India has also not met expectations, and the number of South Korean students studying in India remains low.

Furthermore, mutual perceptions between the two countries are limited. The persistent image of unsanitary public spaces, high crime rates, and social inequality in parts of India has cast a shadow over economic and defense cooperation between the two nations. Significant disparities in per capita income, with South Korea's figure noticeably higher than India's, contribute to prejudice against the South Asian country, thereby impacting the dynamics of their partnership.

Conversely, it is time for New Delhi to view Seoul as a comprehensive partner, not just a source of investment, technology transfer, and new arms purchases. As South Korea grapples with economic and social challenges, including its projected decline to 15th place in the global economy by 2050, India needs a holistic strategy to support Seoul in overcoming these upcoming challenges.

Finally, in defense cooperation, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) remains cautious in its dealings with New Delhi. This has repeatedly hampered India's efforts to acquire advanced South Korean weapons systems and secure technology transfer from South Korea, hindering the full realization of a defense partnership between the two countries.

At that time, both sides needed to bridge the psychological gap, contributing to sustainable development and adapting to the changing world. This is essential for the sustainable development of India-Korea relations over the next five decades and beyond.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/an-do-han-quoc-nam-thap-nien-nhieu-gia-vi-253848.html