Sanjeev K. Ahuja first Indian inducted into Korea’s PUAC Southwest Asia 

New Delhi, India – In a significant milestone for India–Korea relations and cross-border public diplomacy, Sanjeev K. Ahuja, Founder & Editor-in-Chief/CEO of the Asian Community News (ACN) Network, has been inducted as an Honorary Member of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), Southwest Asia Chapter, becoming the first Indian ever to achieve this distinction.

Ahuja’s induction was announced during the 2026 First Quarter General Meeting of the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter held on March 14, 2026, in New Delhi. Park Euy Don, President of the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter, formally handed over the appointment letter to him in the hybrid meeting in the presence of top PUAC office bearers from constituent countries – India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal. PUAC is a constitutional institution of the Republic of Korea, and its chairperson is President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea.

The development stood out as one of the most noteworthy outcomes of the meeting, reflecting the chapter’s widening outreach and its recognition of influential voices beyond the Korean diaspora in the region.

The honour assumes added significance because the PUAC is a constitutional advisory institution of the Republic of Korea dedicated to supporting policy thinking and public consensus around peaceful coexistence and unification on the Korean Peninsula. Against that backdrop, Ahuja’s entry into the forum as the first Indian member signals a meaningful broadening of the chapter’s engagement with India and with non-Korean stakeholders who have contributed substantially to strengthening bilateral understanding.

A veteran journalist, media entrepreneur, and Asian community connector, Sanjeev K. Ahuja has long been associated with promoting India’s engagement with East Asia, particularly with South Korea and Japan, through journalism, public dialogue, institutional networking, and community initiatives. Over the years, he has built a distinctive profile at the intersection of media, diplomacy, business outreach, and diaspora relations.

His induction as the first Indian into the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter is therefore being seen not merely as an individual recognition, but as an acknowledgement of the growing role that Indian opinion leaders, media professionals, and civil society connectors can play in strengthening Korea-related discourse in the region.

During his address after being inducted as a PUAC Honorary Member, Ahuja expressed gratitude to the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter President, Park Euy Don, for reposing confidence in him and for making him part of what he described as a prestigious platform working hard to suggest and explore ways to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula. He said the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter would successfully achieve its objectives in the region under Park’s able guidance.

Drawing a poignant historical comparison, Ahuja said that perhaps no people outside the Korean Peninsula could understand the pain of division better than Indians, as India too went through the trauma of partition in 1947 when the country was divided, and Pakistan was carved out. At the same time, he observed that the situation between South and North Korea had been even more tragic in many ways, as people on the two sides remained cut off from one another for long periods, unable to maintain normal contact. In contrast, he noted, despite the bitterness of partition, people in India and Pakistan had at least retained some degree of interaction and human concern across the border. His remarks lent an emotional and historical dimension to the occasion, underlining why peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula remain issues of deep human importance.

The move also carries symbolic weight at a time when India–Korea relations are expanding across strategic, business, educational, and cultural dimensions. By bringing in an Indian media leader with deep linkages to Korean and Japanese institutions, the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter has signalled its intent to make its regional platform more inclusive, more outward-looking, and more connected with wider Asian stakeholders.

For Ahuja personally, the development adds another significant chapter to a career built around fostering dialogue, building institutional bridges, and amplifying Asia-focused narratives through journalism and public engagement. For India–Korea ties, it represents a notable people-to-people milestone.

With the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter preparing for a major calendar of activities in 2026, including the 27th World Korea Forum to be held in New Delhi in August, Ahuja’s induction is expected to further strengthen the chapter’s India outreach and communication footprint.

As the first Indian to be inducted into the PUAC Southwest Asia Chapter, Sanjeev K. Ahuja’s appointment stands as both a personal achievement and a wider marker of the deepening connect between India and Korea at the level of institutions, communities, and public discourse.

About Sanjeev K Ahuja

Ahuja is the Founder & Editor-in-Chief/CEO of Asian Community News (ACN) Network, a platform known for its sustained coverage of Asian diplomatic, business, cultural, and community affairs, with a special focus on India’s ties with countries such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the wider Asian region. Through ACN, he has played a visible role in highlighting stories of bilateral cooperation, business exchanges, cultural engagement, and people-to-people ties.

His induction into PUAC is also backed by a wide institutional presence across several prominent organisations in India and abroad. ACN is a member company of the Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry India (JCCII) and also a member of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia. He also serves as a Governing Board Member of the India Republic of Korea Friendship Society (IRKFS) led by Ambassador Skand R Tayal (retd.), underlining his continued engagement with Korea-related public and institutional initiatives.

In the media and professional space, Ahuja currently serves as Vice President (Asia) of the Media Federation of India (MFI). He is also National Spokesperson of the Web Journalists Association of India (WJAI), a Web Journalists’ Standards Authority of news publishers registered as a Self-Regulatory Body with the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Before launching and expanding the ACN Network, Ahuja had a long and distinguished career in mainstream journalism. He served as Ex-Bureau Chief and Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times from 2005 to 2018, a tenure that helped establish his credibility as a senior media professional with extensive experience in news leadership and public affairs reporting.

His ties with the Korean and Japanese communities in India extend beyond journalism. He serves as Honorary Chair of the Public Relations Committee of The Korean Association in India, a role that reflects the trust and goodwill he enjoys within the Korean community. He is also associated with Japanese community outreach as Head, Media & Communication, Konnichiwa Japan Club (KJC), New Delhi.

Ahuja’s profile further spans academia and overseas Indian engagement. He is an Advisory Board Member of Indian Students & Researchers in Korea (ISRK), Seoul, Industry Advisory Board member, Amity University, Gurugram, and also serves as Corporate Mentor at the New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM). These affiliations add to his image as a bridge-builder across media, education, business, and international community networks.