India-South Korea: Jaishankar Calls for Deeper Ties & Global South Support

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently underscored the critical need for India and South Korea to forge closer ties across various sectors. Speaking at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026, the Minister highlighted promising areas for collaboration including shipbuilding, digital technology, healthcare, infrastructure, and defence. His visit to South Korea marks the second leg of an important foreign tour, following an earlier stop in Mongolia.

During his address, Mr. Jaishankar emphasized the importance of not just economic and technological partnerships, but also robust political, strategic, and people-to-people connections between New Delhi and Seoul. He stated, “India and the Republic of Korea must cooperate more closely,” pointing out "complementarities... just waiting to be exploited."

A significant part of his message revolved around the Global South. Jaishankar called for providing "greater capacity and opportunities" to these nations, arguing that this would generate new drivers of global growth. He voiced concern that while the interests of a select few nations are often prioritized, the costs borne by many are less considered. He suggested that enhanced cooperation among more players on more issues is the only way to counter this imbalance and truly test if multi-polarity can deliver a stable global order.

The Minister's remarks also touched on the broader need for influential nations to establish "new understandings and closer relationships" to stabilize the global order and address contemporary challenges through targeted cooperation. This aligns with ongoing discussions between India and South Korea on deepening their strategic partnership, as both nations seek balanced and mutually beneficial engagements.

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