 |
| Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar delivers opening remarks during the curtain raiser for the 50th anniversary celebrations on the diplomatic relations between Korea and India at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Yongsan District, Seoul, Dec. 16. Courtesy of Embassy of India in Korea |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
As Korea and India will celebrate the 50th anniversary, or the golden jubilee, of diplomatic ties next year, the Embassy of India in Korea, excited about the commemorative occasion, held a preview event for the year-long celebrations, Dec. 16.
During the event at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Seoul, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar introduced the strong historical and cultural connections between the two countries, which go back more than 2,000 years, and the significant progress that has been made in areas such as trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
He emphasized the deep and enduring relationship between India and Korea and the important role it has played in their mutual development and success.
"India and the Republic of Korea many common values. We are both robust democracies, we are free market economies, we follow the rule of law and we are both entrepreneurial and innovative societies," he said.
 |
| Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar, second from right, and the Korean foreign ministry's Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Choi Young-sam, right, push a button to reveal the logo for the 50th anniversary celebration of diplomatic ties at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Yongsan District, Seoul, Dec. 16. Courtesy of Embassy of India in Korea |
He also highlighted the potential for intensified bilateral engagement in areas such as security and defense, trade and investment, sustainable development, future mobility and new and emerging technologies.
"We inhabit a world today that is witnessing geopolitical shifts, global supply chain disruptions and the advent of transformative technologies. All this requires us to anticipate potential emerging areas and new ways of leverage. India's presidency of the G-20, the Indo-Pacific region and several global issues offer avenues of cooperation for us. India and the Republic of Korea need to seize the opportunities," Ambassador Kumar said.
"The embassy looks forward to working with all the stakeholders to realize tangible outcomes on the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations next year."
From the Korean government, Korean foreign ministry's Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Choi Young-sam noted that the two countries need to open a new chapter of deeper strategic cooperation with the country he spent two years of his diplomatic career.
"Despite COVID-19, bilateral trade hit an all-time high of $23.7 billion last year only and many Korean companies actively investing in India have been contributing to the success of the 'Make in India' flagship program. We also help in developing future oriented cooperation in the defense industry, science and technology, including digital transformation, space and infrastructure," Choi said.
The dignitaries also unveiled the logo for the 50th anniversary celebration. The logo was chosen through a contest jointly organized by the Indian Embassy in Seoul and Korean Embassy in New Delhi.
The event also featured a Kathak Dance performance by Korean dancer Oh Suk-hee and Indian dancer Sonali Roy and a musical duet on traditional Indian instruments of Sitar and Tabla by Han Saembawy and Jung Myung-cheol. An exhibition of Son Sang-Shin's India-themed paintings is also underway at the Indian Cultural Centre in Seoul.
![[INTERVIEW] 'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/796618f56a44402eabe81fe4530ab988.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Lee Jun-hyuk unrecognizable in 'The Roundup: No Way Out'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/77a9da6df7da4284adbee249a87307c1.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
