UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held bilateral talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Seoul on Tuesday, as Minister Jaishankar continued an official visit to South Korea following a trip to Mongolia.

The two ministers reviewed the implementation of initiatives agreed upon during the South Korean President's state visit to India in April — the first such visit in eight years — and exchanged views on major bilateral issues as well as regional and international developments.

Assessing the Summit's Follow-Through

Minister Cho welcomed his Indian counterpart, noting that the bilateral talks marked the first such meeting since the Korea-India Joint Committee of Foreign Ministers convened two years ago. He assessed that both governments have been making smooth progress across a wide range of deliverables in the areas of economics, society, and culture, coordinated primarily through their respective foreign ministries.

He highlighted the ongoing Korea Week programme at India's Prime Minister's Office — running from June 22 to 25 — as a representative example of summit follow-through, and noted that South Korea had established a dedicated Korea-India Practical Cooperation Task Force within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 27 to accelerate the implementation of substantive cooperation. A roundtable with Indian companies operating in South Korea is also planned in the near future to identify and address areas of concern.

Minister Jaishankar expressed his appreciation for the warm reception and called on both sides to build upon the strengthened personal rapport between the two heads of state — deepened through the April state visit — as well as the longstanding friendship between the two ministers, which dates to Minister Cho's tenure as South Korea's Ambassador to India. He emphasised the importance of delivering substantive follow-up to the summit in order to achieve a qualitative leap in the Korea-India Special Strategic Partnership.

Broad Bilateral Agenda

The ministers reviewed concrete progress across the summit's key deliverable areas, including negotiations for the improvement of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), cooperation in shipbuilding and maritime industries, small and medium enterprise collaboration, finance, steel, defense and defense industry partnerships, artificial intelligence and science and technology cooperation, and education and cultural exchange.

Korean Peninsula and the Role of India

Minister Cho briefed his counterpart on South Korea's efforts to promote peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. He expressed appreciation for India's constructive role in maintaining diplomatic communication with North Korea, and indicated that Seoul looks to New Delhi to continue contributing to an environment conducive to peace on the Peninsula.

Middle East and Supply Chain Concerns

The two ministers also shared assessments of the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East and its implications for global supply chains. Both agreed that the swift and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the guarantee of free and secure navigation for all vessels are of critical importance to both security and economic stability. They committed to maintaining close bilateral communication and continuing to participate in international efforts toward that end.

Minister Jaishankar is scheduled to join Minister Cho at the Jeju Forum on June 25.