Experts and diplomats urged South Korea to deepen engagements with India and the Global South for a strategic shift in Seoul’s foreign policy approach on Feb. 27.

The "Global South" refers to countries often characterized as "developing," "less developed" or "underdeveloped." While not exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere, many of these nations are located there, predominantly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The discussion was held at a conference co-organized by the Indian Embassy in Seoul and the Sejong Institute.

“India is a key diplomatic partner that South Korea should prioritize,” stressed Yoon Young-kwan, who was minister of foreign affairs and trade in 2003, citing India's projected rise as a top global economy.

Experts urged South Korea to expand diplomacy beyond major powers amid US-China tensions and warned that weak political leadership hinders progress.

Yoon highlighted South Korea’s historically US-centric policy as a barrier to deeper engagement with India and the Global South, emphasizing, “South Korea must strengthen its diplomacy with the Global South.”

However, he noted a lack of political commitment from both sides to bridge this gap.

“When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited South Korea in May 2015, the two nations upgraded their relationship to a ‘special strategic partnership.’ But it remains questionable whether the partnership has truly reached that level in practice,” Yoon pointed out.

In his keynote speech, Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hee-sang referred to geopolitical uncertainties, the US-China rivalry and rising protectionism.

"We will continue strengthening our strategic economic and security partnership, ensuring that Korea and India collaborate as special strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region, Kim affirmed.

Underlining the special strategic partnership in the context of geopolitical shifts, growing bilateral ties and emerging developments, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar explained India's contributions to Indo-Pacific maritime security, particularly in connecting regional security centers and training naval forces.

The ambassador urged South Korea to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. Launched by India in 2019, the IPOI promotes a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, complementing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and enhancing regional security. IORA, with 23 member nations, focuses on regional cooperation and sustainable development in the Indian Ocean.

Experts urged stronger South Korea-India ties for supply chain resilience and global stability, employing the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea and Indian Ocean. They advocated a multilateral framework with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Japan for stability and highlighted the India-Australia-Japan SCRI pact as a model linking security and economic strategy, noting South Korea’s potential role.

Saon Ray, a visiting professor at the Indian Council of Research on International Economic Relations, suggested reshoring, "friend-shoring" ― moving production in one's supply chain to allied countries ― and de-risking in supply chain cooperation.

Ray noted Korean investment in India amounted to $7 billion in 2023, with Indian investment in Korea at $3 billion, as well as bilateral trade of approximately $28 billion in 2022-23. But she stressed the need to upgrade the free trade agreement that has been effective since 2010, to attract Korean investment to high-tech and green sectors and to expand ties in electric vehicles, semiconductors and critical minerals.

“South Korea can play a critical role in India's need for lithium and cobalt," Ray underlined, citing Korea’s expertise and Samsung’s India plant.

However, Kim Jong-chul, director general of international trade relations at the Ministry of Trade and Energy, said India has perceived the trade deficit under the trade deal to have more than tripled over the past decade, making India-Korea negotiations challenging.

Bilateral talks have been ongoing to finalize proposals for many years.

"One key area of disagreement is the reduction of tariffs in manufacturing, where Korea has a competitive edge. But Korea remains cautious about some of India’s demands," Kim said without elaborating.

Kim noted that Korea seeks better market access, while India prioritizes domestic industry protection and trade balance. South Korea has proposed an "Industrial Cooperation Committee," which India is considering.

“While coordination among India's various ministries may take some time, we will do our best to advance both supply chain and industrial cooperation simultaneously,” said Kim, in response to a question.

According to Song Kyung-jin, director of the Asia Foundation, India’s technological capabilities in aerospace highlight the potential for collaboration in shipbuilding, port operations and small modular reactors, where South Korea excels.

Song, who also moderated a session at the conference, pointed out that nearly 40 percent of global trade and 80 percent of oil shipments pass through the Indian Ocean, and as a leading trading nation, Korea must pursue concrete maritime security cooperation with India to safeguard its national economy and security.

Song believes that South Korea should efficiently utilize its increased development cooperation budget for its development initiatives and the Global South.

South Korea allocated 6.5 trillion won ($4.45 billion) for official development assistance in 2025 to support the economic growth of developing countries.

Meanwhile, Choi Yoon-jung, director of the Center for Indo-Pacific Studies at the Sejong Institute, suggested adopting selective and flexible strategic cooperation over traditional alliances.

“India follows a multialignment strategy, collaborating with multiple partners,” she said. "Korea must align its diplomatic approach accordingly."

Choi said that amid US shifts from its traditional role of counterbalancing specific countries, Korea and India need reliable partners to navigate this changing landscape through cooperation.

Sponsored by the Asia Foundation, the conference hosted over 65 attendees, including university students, embassy officials, think tank representatives and media personnel.