India and Korea share social and economic development experiences at symposium

 

Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan delivers the welcome address for an international symposium on the development dynamics and future trajectories of India and Korea via Zoom, Aug. 23. Courtesy of the Embassy of India to Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Embassy of India in Seoul held an international symposium on the development dynamics and future trajectories of India and Korea.

The two-day symposium was a part of the India@75 celebrations organized by the Indian Embassy in Korea. As India's democracy turns 75 years old next year, the embassy offers a series of events, including international symposiums and workshops on India-Korea relations.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Institute of East and West Studies at Yonsei University, the India keonhacai and the Jammu-Kashmir Study Centre took part in the symposium on Aug. 23 and 24.

"We conceptualize this symposium as an effort to understand the developmental strategies of this pristine and relatively unknown part of India that is Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and reflect on its future direction through the sharing of experiences and ideas, taking in cognizance the varying developmental models that are being adopted over time, both in Korea and India, and using this as a means of ideation and coming up with new thoughts, new perspectives," Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan said during her welcome address.

"We turn to lessons from around the world, and I can hear the Korean experience of economic development, including through the miracle of the Han River. ... I think this is an area which we should draw inspiration from, as we try and accelerate the pace of progress in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. I also see very concrete and tangible opportunities for Korean companies in this area, especially in the sectors of agriculture, horticulture, tourism, hydro power and renewable energy."

The inaugural session of the international symposium, "Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh: Developmental Dynamics and Future Trajectories," hosted by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Embassy of India in Seoul / Courtesy of the Embassy of India to Korea

At the symposium, held via Zoom, experts from India and Korea gave their perspectives on the experiences and ideas of the different growth models of the two countries.

On the first day, Woo Mi-seong, director of the Institute of East and West Studies at Yonsei University, moderated the plenary session, centering on historical significance.

K. N. Pandita, a member of the Jammu-Kashmir Study Center, presented obstacles in the development of the region, while Yonsei University Political Science Professor Kim Myung-sob looked into the global significance of the independence processes of India and the Korean Empire ("Daehan Jeguk" in Korean).

Woo noted that India's connectivity and agricultural development issues are relevant and interesting to Koreans, since Korea does not have much arable land and had similar issues to India back in the 1960s.

"I believe that social and economic development are two sides of the same coin, and complement each other in the growth of a region," Woo said.

On the second day of the symposium, there were working sessions on new growth and developmental models, as well as gender equity and social justice in India and Korea.