Embassy of India
Seoul
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Press Release
The Embassy of India, Seoul in collaboration with Korea Institute for International Economic Policy [KIEP], organized a Conference on ‘Korea – India Economic Partnership Forum: Shaping the future of the Indo – Pacific’ on 27 March 2025. The conference comprised three sessions with speakers from think-tanks, academia, and industry [Note: Program Schedule of the Event is enclosed herewith as Annex-I]
During the inaugural session, Ambassador Amit Kumar underlined the importance of India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership bilaterally as well as in the Indo-Pacific region. He drew attention to growing consultations on political, strategic and defence domains, commencement of trilateral dialogues with US (technology) and Japan (policy planning), and deepening engagement of Korean business in India strengthening supply chain resilience.  Amb Kumar also referred to several regional frameworks such as IPOI, IPEF, Mineral Security Partnership, IORA, ISA, etc., where the two countries can work together in addressing challenges related to maritime security, development cooperation, and the climate change in the Indo-Pacific region. [Note: Copy of Ambassador’s remarks is enclosed herewith as Annex-II]
Dr. Siwook Lee, President, KIEP in his remarks referred about the multi-dimensional relationship between India and the Republic of Korea and highlighted the significance of India as a reliable partner for manufacturing in the global value chain for Korean businesses. Dr Lee mentioned that Korean businesses consider India as their second home while referring about Samsung’ biggest R&D center and Hyundai’s largest manufacturing facilities in India. He further said Korea and India are recalibrating their policies to navigate the growing uncertainty around the world. Their complimentary strengths when strategically combined, can significantly contribute to regional stability and prosperity.
During the first Session on ‘Strategic Importance of India-Korea Relations in Indo Pacific’, speakers emphasized that India has a pivotal role on global stage as well as Indo-Pacific. There is need for India and Republic of Korea to work together on joint supply chain initiatives, taking coordinated approach to the global south, and focus on emerging areas such as digital, defense, green sector and others. Session was moderated by Dr Kyungjin Song, Country Representative, The Asia Foundation and saw participation of Prof Yeon-Jung Ji, Korea Naval Academy, Prof Won-Deuk Cho, KNDA and Cdr R Seshadri Vasan (Indian Navy, Retd).
During the second session, Dr Kyunghoon Kim, Associate Research Flow, KIEP appreciated series of proactive measures taken by the Government of India to boost manufacturing sector. He said that there is heightened interest of Korean business leaders in India which is leading to resurgence of Korean investments in India. Senior representatives from Hyundai India and Mirae Assets shared their successful experiences in India. Mr Cheolwon Lee, CEO and Founder of Balance Hero shared his experience of 100% CAGR with business friendly regulatory environment for fintech sector in India. Ms. Navneeta Gautam from Invest India highlighted upcoming opportunities for Korean businesses in India. The session was moderated by Dr Sung-Il Kwak, Head of Center for Emerging Economy Studies, KIEP.
The third session had interesting discussions on future directions, namely setting up of vertical automotive supply chain in India by Korean automakers; linking Korean fintech with Indian UPI; working together on electronics supply chain; and exploring collaboration opportunities in the maritime sector (shipbuilding, ship repair, and ports). The session was moderated by Mr Nishi Kant Singh, Deputy Chief of Mission with Dr Byungyul Park, Associate Research Fellow , Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET); Dr Yoonjae Ro, Associate Research Fellow, KIEP; Mr Sanjay Arora, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI; Mr. Adhip Mitra, Executive Director, Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) and Mr. Anil Sinha, COO, Tata Daewoo Mobility as speakers.
The forum witnessed engaging in participation from academia, industry, think – tanks, media, and others. Participants engaged actively with speakers over Q&A at the end of each session. 
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