The tactical importance of South Korea Defence Minister to visit India

New Delhi, Mar 25: With an aim to enhance bilateral ties, the Defence Minister of South Korea Suh Wook will be visiting India to discuss India–RoK defence cooperation, military to military cooperation, and deeper cooperation in defence production. The two sides will also discuss regional security and multilateral cooperation. It should be noted that both sides are likely to discuss Indo-Pacific, Quad, and Korean Peninsula.

 

 

The South Korean Minister is will be on a visit to India from March 25-27, 2021. The dignitary will hold bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. Along with that, an Indo-Korean Friendship Park will also be jointly inaugurated by the visiting dignitary and Singh at Delhi Cantonment.

 

 

 

As per the pact was made between these two countries in 2019, this park has been established as per the agreement between the two countries in 2019. However, due to the global lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic everything had to be pushed back, including the visit of the minister.

 

The park owns strategic significance not only because it is a symbol of strong India-South Korea friendly relations, but the park is also the reminiscence of India’s support to South Korea during the Korean War 1950-53. According to the data of the government of Korea, during the war, India had sent its 60th Parachute Field Ambulance Platoon of 627 medics. And these medics played a very critical role in taking care of around 220,000 soldiers and civilians. This has been developed by the Indian Army and is in association with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in India and the Korean War Veterans Association.

 

 

It should be noted that last year at the end of December, the Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane visited South Korea. He was on a three-day visit, where he held talks with the top defence dignitaries of the country strengthening bilateral military cooperation.

 

 

 

Besides, both sides have aimed to boost defence relations since Special Strategic Partnership in 2015. Following this, both are involved in discussing multiple military platforms and weapons, naval shipbuilding, and collaboration in defence R&D. Both the countries are also sharing key partnerships in having talks over mutual interests and security threats in the Indo-Pacific region. The relations also elevated as India acknowledges South Korea as a significant partner under 'Act East Policy'.

 

 

The two countries have already entered into Military Logistics Agreement that formulates a forward-looking road map to take bilateral defence industry cooperation to the next level. This agreement also helps the Indian Navy while operating in the Indo-Pacific Region and in interoperability. It covers defence educational exchanges and to extends logistical support to each other’s navies.

 

 

 

The South Korean minister is already in UAE on a four-day visit, and he will travel from there to India. The visit of the minister also comes at a time after the recently concluded visit of the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, who had visited that country before heading to New Delhi last weekend.

 

 

With an aim to curb the aggressions by China specifically in the Indo-Pacific region, India will look forward to adding South Korea to the Quad that presently includes the US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison, and Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga.

 

The Quad had already sent a strong message to China through the summit and has enhanced cooperation among the major maritime powers in the Indo Pacific. So with the addition of South Korea, India will be forming a much more stronger coalition to counter China.