Lee Jae-myung said on the 19th (local time) that "as supply chain instability and the global economic crisis become constant in the aftermath of the Middle East war, Korea and India will become each other's most important strategic partners."
On a state visit to India, Lee said this at a dinner meeting with Korean residents at a hotel in downtown New Delhi. He said, "With tomorrow's summit (with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) as a turning point, the relationship between Korea and India is highly likely to develop to a completely different level than before."
He added, "India has become a key country leading global production and supply chains, not just a consumer market," and "also, India, like Korea, relies heavily on overseas sources for raw materials and energy, which means there is considerable room for cooperation with Korea."
Lee went on to say that when thinking of India, the novel "The Square" released by writer Choi In-hun comes to mind, adding, "Living on the Korean Peninsula, in the tragedy of division between North and South, there are stories of people through third countries." In particular, he explained, "The Korean community in India, where compatriots from the North and South live together, well shows the future of peace and prosperity that our Korean Peninsula must build."
He continued, "How much hardship and sacrifice did the first generation of Koreans in India endure at that time?" and said, "In our Republic of Korea, which has overcome colonial rule, the war of division, and military dictatorship and has now achieved economic development and democratization at the same time, we will do our utmost to ensure that such horrific events never occur again."