Deepening IndiaS. Korea Ties

The Hindu 24th July 2020 Save

Context: As the balance of power in the region continues to shift fast, India and South Korea may need to overcome cultural biases and move closer to each other.

Issues in India - S.Korea Relationship:

Limited Economic Partnership:

Economic partnership stuck at $22 billion annually.
Defence partnership has been reduced from all-round cooperation to mere purchase of the weapon system.

Cultural Prejudices: stands in the way of a relationship based on openness, curiosity, and warmth.

E.g: there may be a widespread perception among South Koreans of India as a third world country, rife with poverty and hunger.
Indians are unable to distinguish between the cultural and social characteristics of South Koreans and people of other East Asian nations.

Racial Prejudices: There have been some instances of racial prejudice or discrimination, including toward Indians in work settings in South Korea.
Information Gap: stands in the way of integration of Indian diaspora with the local S.Korean population.

Indians have failed to recognize the role of S.Korea in building an Asian view of the world.
Defining traits of Japan’s and China’s culture are better identified than Korean culture.

Excessive Focus on diplomatic initiatives: Diplomatic initiatives are important but not the only component of a potentially rich bilateral space.

Way Forward:

Strengthen Mutual Cultural Respect: mutual respect regarding cultural values is the key to building a robust partnership between the two countries.
Develop People to people contacts:

For E.g. Indian Cultural Centre in Seoul attempts to broaden base an appreciation of Indian culture by teaching south Indian dances to elementary school students in South Korea.
Focus of wider audience beyond the urban, English speaking elite of Seoul.

Conclusions: A regional hegemon is already pushing hard into the ambit of the Indian Ocean. The sooner these bonds are renewed the better it would be for all Asian democracies.