South Korea and India on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering economic security and expanding cooperation in critical and emerging sectors.
The pledge came as First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo and India’s Secretary (East) P. Kumaran co-chaired the sixth Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue. The two sides agreed to advance the Special Strategic Partnership in 2026 through regular ministerial visits and joint meetings.
Established in 2010, the dialogue serves as a channel to review regional and global security issues and explore avenues for bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, Park reiterated Seoul’s commitment to pragmatic, national interest-centered diplomacy and described India as a key regional partner. Kumaran emphasized the importance of forward-looking initiatives to broaden bilateral cooperation.
As the two countries mark the 10th anniversary of their Special Strategic Partnership, they have continued to hold regular summits and ministerial meetings, with cooperation focused on economic security, technology, defense and people-to-people exchanges.
South Korea also aims to strengthen its role in global artificial intelligence governance. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, Seoul plans to promote responsible, outcome-driven AI cooperation by participating in the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for Feb. 18–20 in New Delhi.
Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon was set to lead a Korean delegation to the summit, highlighting Korea’s AI policy experience and seeking to expand cooperation with countries in the Global South.
Bae was also scheduled to chair the Ministerial Council of the Global Partnership on AI, a multilateral AI governance body integrated into the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, where he serves as co-chair alongside Singapore.
According to a press release shared by the Indian Embassy in Seoul, the two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific.
During his visit, Kumaran also met with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Both sides agreed to maintain close high-level engagement, the embassy said.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
