Prashant Kumar Singh replies: There may be a legitimate curiosity about the US concerns regarding the DPRK’s (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea) nuclear missile tests. Whether the North Korean nuclear missile programme poses a direct threat to the US, or its concerns go beyond the immediate and direct threats.

Rup Narayan Das replies: Cultural relations along with historical and traditional relations have always been a very important aspect of relations between and among nations. These are very important attributes of soft power too. By culture, in this context, we broadly mean religious and philosophical contacts and intercourse between two countries both in historical background and also in contemporary context. These are the feel good factors and are like icing on the cake. Cultural aspect may also refer to sharing common norms, such as liberal and familial values. We also talk of strategic culture suggesting convergence of shared security interests. In the comprehensive Indo-Korean relations, all these are present to a great extent.
After the advent of Buddhism in the Korean Peninsula, cultural contacts between India and Korea were nurtured by Buddhist monks. A sizeable number of Korean spiritual seers and saints came to India from the sixth century onwards in search of Buddhist manuscripts and scriptures. Several Indian monks also travelled to Korea after spending a few years in China. Rabindranath Tagore also made a lasting impact on the Korean psyche and continues to be a source of inspiration to the Korean people even today. In normative and strategic terms, there is great degree of convergence between India and South Korea in particular. India’s contribution towards resolving the crisis in the Korean Peninsula is internationally acknowledged.

For further details, please refer to the following publication:

Skand R. Tayal, India and the Republic of Korea: Engaged Democracies, Routledge, 2014.

Posted on April 09, 2014

Reply: Please refer to Pranamita Baruah’s earlier reply to a similar query, at http://idsa.in/askanexpert/presentsituationintheKoreanPeninsula

Pranamita Baruah replies: India, as of now, is not planning to intervene in the ongoing impasse between the two Koreas. In fact, so far, it has been emphasising that the tensions between the two should be resolved by peaceful means at the bilateral level.

In early April this year, an Indian Foreign Ministry delegation led by Gautam Bambawale, head of the East Asia division in the ministry, went on a two-day long trip to North Korea. The unusual visit amidst the ongoing tensions in the Korean Peninsula led many to believe that India is gradually tilting towards North Korea. However, that seems to be an exaggeration. The Indian Foreign Ministry has already made it clear that Bambawale’s visit was scheduled ‘well in advance’ with the purpose of discussing with his North Korean counterpart the issues pertaining to the India-North Korea bilateral relationship and the current security environment in the East Asian region. Moreover, it was not India alone that had sent a delegation to North Korea in recent times. In May itself, the Japanese Government had sent Isao Ijima, a special adviser to the Japanese cabinet, on a four-day long trip to North Korea. Thus, India was not an exception in sending its diplomats to North Korea recently.

It should be also kept in mind that India has strong bilateral relationship with South Korea. In recent years, India’s growing relationship with the US, an alliance partner of South Korea, seems to have strengthened New Delhi-Seoul relationship further. Since the time both India and South Korea negotiated CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) in 2010, volumes of bilateral trade and investments have been growing rapidly, reaching more than $20 billion and $4 billion, respectively, in 2011. South Korea’s former President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to India (2010) and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to South Korea (2012) elevated the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. After the signing of the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the two countries in 2011, the bilateral relationship has reached a new height.

Under the circumstances, it will be quite unrealistic to assume that India will compromise its strong relationship with South Korea by siding with North Korea. Such steps will not only strain the India-South Korea ties, but also the India-US relationship. Moreover, the long drawn Pakistan-North Korea strategic missile linkage has been of strong security concern to India. This also restrains India from developing strong bilateral relationship with North Korea. Thus, for now, India takes a neutral stance on the Korean issue.