South Korean President to discuss peace moves with PM Modi

New Delhi : South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ambassador Enna Park, today expressed confidence that the peace initiative, initiated by President Moon Jae-in, will succeed eventually and bring peace and stability to the tense Korean Peninsula.

Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on "Development of Peace and Prosperity for the Korea India Strategic Partnership" at Observer Research Foundation, Amb. Park said the historic initiative would bring about a "fundamental change" and end seven decades of hostility and instability in the Korean peninsula.

"It is not an easy one, but a rocky one, facing many challenges. But our government's determined efforts will bring about fundamental change," she said adding, "We believe it will come through eventually".

The day-long conference in New Delhi on the different facets of the strategic partnership between India and the Republic of Korea was organised by ORF in association with the Institute of East and West Studies at the Yonsei University and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea (ROK).

Ambassador Park, referring to the poem written by Rabindra Nath Tagore in 1929 on Korea, titled "The Lam of the East", sought the support of India and the world community to "lighten the lamp for peace and prosperity" in the Korean Peninsula and Asia.

"Let us begin a new chapter of peace and prosperity by following the bold journey for peace, initiated by President Moon," she said.
Emphasising on the need for deeper coordination between Koreans and Indians, Amb. Park hailed the India-ROK security relationship as catalyst for peace and prosperity in Asia.

Ambassador Park said President Moon would discuss with Prime Minister Modi the vision for a dynamic future of peace and stability in the region, when he visits India next month.

Korea's Ambassador to India, Shin Bongkil, emphasised the need for familiarising people about the shining legacy of our historic relations and reignite the "lost emotional connect" with the people.

Talking about the "connect", he described about how the princess of Ayodhya, Suriratna, travelled to his country in 0050 AD to marry the King Kim there. He also talked about the Buddhist connections, Tagore's poem on Korea as well as the fact that both Korea and India share the same date for Independence Day.

Praising the peace initiative of President Moon, ORF Chairman Sunjoy Joshi said South Korea has emerged as a force committed to bringing peace and prosperity not just to the Peninsula but to the Indo-Pacific that is our common maritime domain.

"President Moon's Southern Policy has therefore been a logical corollary of his peace initiatives and with that we can foresee the relationship between India and Korea flower and spread into multiple new dimensions," Joshi pointed out.

He said in an uncertain world where not just multi-lateral arrangements, but close groups such as G-7 formed to cement the international trade order seem to lack the will to forge a common agenda on anything, Asian powers such as South Korea and India have ever greater reason to step out and take the destiny of their continent in their own hands.

"The inherent synergy between President Moon's Southward policy and India's Act East policy is only too obvious," Joshi said.
The seminar had sessions on 'Role and contribution of two the two countries for the regional order (politics and security)', 'Bilateral economic cooperation for win-win prosperity (economy and industry)', 'National ties by having heart to heart relationship (public diplomacy)', besides the inaugural and closing sessions.

Scholars as well as former diplomats, including former ambassadors, presented papers and took part in the discussions.