New Delhi, April 19: South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s inaugural state visit to India is being hailed as a significant milestone for the relationship between the two nations. Upon his arrival in New Delhi, he received a grand welcome.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to social media platform ‘X’ to express, “A warm welcome to President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea on his state visit to India. This is President Lee’s first visit to India. He was greeted by Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Harsh Malhotra. This visit marks an important step forward in enhancing the India-Korea special strategic partnership.”
President Lee Jae-myung is on a tour of both countries. After India, he is scheduled to attend a summit in Vietnam. Following his arrival in Delhi, President Lee had a courtesy meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Sunday evening. On Monday, he will engage in discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this will be their third face-to-face meeting following discussions during last year’s G7 and G20 summits.
Kyung-hoon Kim, head of the India and South Asia team at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIET), noted on social media platform X, “Continuous dialogue is essential for building connections, aligning ideas, and ultimately shaping the agenda before the summit. Let’s see how Korean and Indian officials have been doing just that over the past 10 months. President Lee Jae-myung and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met during the G7 (June 2025) and G20 (November 2025) events.”
He added, “South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar have met three times in the last eight months during their busy schedules in Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, and Yvelines. The former ambassador to India, Foreign Minister Cho, is expected to play a crucial role in strengthening ties.”
In light of the President’s visit, a new chapter of economic cooperation is anticipated between the two countries in strategic sectors such as shipbuilding and maritime industries, finance, artificial intelligence (AI), and defense. Amid the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, both nations are eager to collaborate on energy supply chains.
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