Seoul and Delhi, new partners in Indo-Pacific
India and South Korea, guided by universal values, should build beyond bilateralism as they refuse to be bystanders amid global disorder.
The India conversation in the power corridors of Seoul is increasingly gaining traction as New Delhi finds space in President Yoon Suk Yeol’s key policy documents. While India is mapped as a “key regional strategic partner” in the National Security Strategy (NSS) document, the Indo-Pacific Strategy identifies India as a “leading regional partner with shared values”.
The NSS underscores the imperative of India’s transition towards a knowledge economy alongside its software prowess, space technology and demographic dividend. Seoul’s Indo-Pacific Strategy argues the case for doubling down on strategic communication with Delhi and advancing deeper cooperation in foreign and defence verticals.
President Yoon puts international norms and a rules-based order rooted in universal values front and centre in his strategy. As Seoul anchors its Indo-Pacific Strategy on the three principles of inclusiveness, trust and reciprocity, it aligns with India’s vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, defined by international law and shared prosperity.
From the geopolitics of G20 to the geo-economics of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), aligning the India-South Korea coordinates on the high table of power politics is sharpening the Special Strategic Partnership as 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Positioning South Korea as a “global pivotal State”, Seoul is scaling up its Indo-Pacific game rather than allowing itself to be consumed by competing geopolitics in the Korean peninsula. This intersects with Delhi’s Indo-Pacific action agenda — be it on the verticals of high-tech supply chains including semiconductors and batteries, advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, decarbonization, and infrastructure. Since President Yoon has ensured that Seoul will no longer be the missing link in the Indo-Pacific, cooperation on any of the seven pillars of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) will be beneficial. The IPOI has already gained momentum with many Indo-Pacific partners to create practical value.
In this regard, the shared responsibility to uphold the maritime rules-based order deepens the discussion on maritime security, especially maritime domain awareness. Seoul’s participation in the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC) in the Indian Ocean will bolster situational awareness concerning the maritime commons. Stationing a liaison officer at the IFC, who could then work in lockstep with counterparts not just from Quad countries but also major Indo-Pacific stakeholders will be a constructive step.
The conversation on critical and emerging technologies constitutes a core element of Delhi’s deliberations. India is upping the game by elevating strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation with Washington under iCET and pursuing collaboration in semiconductor design, manufacturing, equipment research, and skill development with Tokyo. As the United States, together with its allies, pursues de-risking, India is emerging as a potential beneficiary. Deepening cooperation with Seoul, an indispensable player in hi-tech, be it semiconductors or the 6G revolution, is a smart bet for Delhi as economic security becomes the new frontier redefining power metrics.
While Seoul has emerged as a formidable player in arms exports with a 2.8% share of the global market, Delhi features amongst the top five largest arms importers in 2018–22 with 11% of global imports. Delhi’s current focus is on advancing India-South Korea industry cooperation, steering investments, joint ventures, and technology transfer in the defence industrial corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Translating the 2020 Roadmap for Defence Industries Cooperation into tangible gains will ultimately redefine this special strategic partnership.
Additionally, addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers in a revamped Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will help to develop a forward-looking template, leveraging the strengths of both countries. Seoul can be a partner for India as President Yoon prioritises Green ODA for low carbon transitions and sharing innovative green technology. Co-opting India-led initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) or the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) will help chart low-carbon pathways.
As two bookends in the Indo-Pacific, India and South Korea, guided by universal values, should build beyond bilateralism as they refuse to be bystanders amid global disorder. Looking ahead, regularising annual summits at the highest levels will be key in preparing a blueprint for India-South Korea to emerge as a stabilising force in the Indo-Pacific.
Titli Basu teaches at JNU. The views expressed are personal
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