South Korean President Lee Jae Myung Visits India; Summit with PM Modi to Boost Economic & Strategic Ties

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is on a state visit to India (April 19–21, 2026), where he held a summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New DelhiThe visit aims to significantly enhance bilateral economic cooperation, strengthen strategic partnership, and expand collaboration in emerging sectors like AI, defence, and supply chains.

key Points:

This is the first visit by a South Korean President to India in 8 years.

The summit focused on boosting cooperation in:

Shipbuilding

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Defence

Finance and maritime sectors

Both countries aim to upgrade the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Target to increase bilateral trade from ~$25.7 billion (2025) to $50 billion by 2030.

Emphasis on global supply chain cooperation and energy security, especially amid global geopolitical tensions.

South Korea also seeks increased imports of naphtha from India to stabilize supply chains.

The visit includes business forums and participation of corporate leaders from both countries.

India–South Korea Relations:

India–South Korea relations have evolved into a strong Special Strategic Partnership since 2015, built on shared democratic values, economic cooperation, and regional security interests. Diplomatic ties were established in 1973, and economic engagement deepened with the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2009, which promotes trade, investment, and tariff reduction. South Korea is a major investor in India, with companies like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG playing a significant role in manufacturing and technology sectors. Cooperation extends to defence, shipbuilding, electronics, semiconductors, and emerging areas like artificial intelligence. Both countries also collaborate on global supply chains and energy security, while cultural ties are strengthened through the popularity of Korean culture (K-pop, K-dramas) in India and growing people-to-people exchanges. Overall, the partnership is strategically important in the Indo-Pacific region and continues to expand across multiple sectors.