New South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun arriving in India today
Landing in New Delhi this evening, the former ambassador to India (2015-17), Cho Hyun, is scheduled to meet his counterpart, Dr S Jaishankar, Korean agencies and prominent members of the Korean diaspora on Saturday. He might meet PM Modi if their schedules match.
New Delhi, India – An authority on Indo-Korean affairs and South Korea’s newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cho Hyun, will be on a 3-day visit to India from August 15 to 17, as per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He would arrive in New Delhi this evening and is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar tomorrow, Saturday.
Having served as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea between 2015 and 2017 at New Delhi, Cho Hyun is expected to focus on strengthening strategic cooperation between India and South Korea in areas such as semiconductors, green hydrogen, shipbuilding trade and maritime security. He is scheduled to meet Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
Later during the day, he will also meet the key representatives of various Korean government and private agencies such as KOTRA, KITA, KCCI, KOSME, KOICA, Korean Associations, and others at the embassy of the RoK in New Delhi.
However, there are chances that the Korean Foreign Minister might meet PM Modi if things go the right way and the latter’s busy schedule allows so.
Not many people know that Cho Hyun had also written a book in the Korean language “한국 대사의 인도리포트” (Korean Ambassador’s Report on India) describing this country as “Incredible India” in 2020. This book was later translated into the English language and was published in India by the Honorary Consul General of India in Hyderabad, Suresh Chukkapalli, in the year 2024.
The Federation of Korean Associations in India, representing over 17,000 Korean nationals staying in India, is upbeat on the visit of Cho Hyun to India.
The Korean community is of the view that Cho Hyun made significant contributions to the advancement of Korean diplomacy, leveraging her extensive experience in key positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, her international sensibility, her balanced perspective, and her crisis management skills in the era of global trade wars.
It says that during her tenure as Ambassador to India, Nominee Cho Hyun made significant efforts to further deepen the strategic partnership between Korea and India and elevate Korea’s diplomatic standing. He also consistently listened to the voices of Koreans in India and supported the Korean community in India.
In 2017, when the Indian Customs Service attempted to impose an additional tariff of 50 billion Korean won on Hyosung Corporation, Cho sent official letters to various Indian government ministries and personally visited relevant departments, including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance, to persuade them and diplomatically resolve the company’s difficulties. This case proved difficult to resolve, even with leading law firms, and was expected to take over 10 years in administrative litigation. Cho proactively supported the company, addressing not only the tariff of 50 billion won but also the potential blockage of further exports to India.
Cho Hyun also spared no effort in fostering significant ties and cultural exchange between Korea and India, leveraging her characteristic sociability. While arranging an exhibition by Korean ink painter Kim Ho-seok at the National Museum of Modern Art in India, he invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the exhibition. Upon reviewing Kim’s catalogue, Prime Minister Modi requested that he paint his portrait. While artist Kim Ho-seok was invited to the Indian Prime Minister’s official residence to paint a portrait of the Indian Prime Minister, Cho Hyun-soo chatted with Prime Minister Modi for an hour.
