New Delhi: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s recent visit to India resulted in further deepening of economic relations between the two countries, but there is a need for Seoul to seize the opportunity to build a broader strategic partnership with India, which would help mitigate its acute vulnerabilities in maritime security, supply chains, and technological resilience, according to an article in The Korea Times.
India, for its part, sees South Korea as a vital source of investment, advanced technology and industrial expertise in shipbuilding, steel, semiconductors and defence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi captured this complementarity when he declared that “from chips to ships, from talent to technology, and from environment to energy… Korea stands as an important partner in India’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision of becoming a developed industrial nation by 2047″, the article states.
The article highlights that the supply chain disruptions due to the choking of the Strait of Hormuz show how South Korea is heavily dependent on vulnerable maritime routes for its imports and exports. As tensions in Indo-Pacific rise, similar disruptions in the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait could also take place. India, with significant assets in the Indian Ocean, has the potential to help Seoul address these challenges.
A forward-looking partnership should, therefore, extend beyond commerce into defence, maritime security, and critical technologies. South Korea has long pursued an indigenous aircraft carrier capability and tweaked the carrier requirements accordingly over time. India, by contrast, has operated aircraft carriers since independence and now possesses two, including one that’s indigenously built, the article observes.
It underscores that the Indian Navy has vast experience in operating carrier battle groups and associated operations which could help accelerate timelines, reduce costs, and strengthen Seoul’s maritime ability to protect vital sea lanes of communication.
Similarly, space offers another opportunity here. India’s proven record in satellite launch vehicles, its indigenous navigation system, and space-grade semiconductors make it an attractive partner for South Korea.
President Lee’s India visit has opened a promising window. Seoul should now undertake bolder strategic imaginations that go well beyond trade targets.
A multifaceted partnership with India — joint naval exercises, technology co-developments, and coordinated approaches to maritime domain awareness — would not only mitigate South Korea’s vulnerabilities in an unstable world but also position both democracies as pillars of stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, the article observes.
(IANS)
