Lee says Korea and India will become ‘most important strategic partners’ amid global supply chain instability
Published: 20 Apr. 2026, 00:59
Updated: 20 Apr. 2026, 03:13
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- SARAH KIM
- [email protected]
![President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung receive flowers from children ahead of a dinner with the Korean diaspora in India at a hotel in New Delhi on April 19 as they begin their three-day state visit to India. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/20/a8eb5777-212d-4da0-97eb-06b11e5485cc.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung receive flowers from children ahead of a dinner with the Korean diaspora in India at a hotel in New Delhi on April 19 as they begin their three-day state visit to India. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
"India is no longer merely a consumer market but a key nation leading global production and supply chains," Lee said at a dinner for the Korean community in India at a hotel in New Delhi. "As supply chain instability and global economic crises become a constant reality in the aftermath of the Middle East war, Korea and India will become each other's most important strategic partners."
![Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung arrive at Palam Air Base in New Delhi on April 19, beginning a three-day state visit to India. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/20/530e2644-4926-4ec4-b31f-e20584a3abd9.jpg)
Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung arrive at Palam Air Base in New Delhi on April 19, beginning a three-day state visit to India. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
During his remarks to the Korean compatriots on Sunday, Lee stressed India's future growth potential.
"India has already surpassed China's population and is the world's fourth-largest economy, which is soon expected to take the third spot," Lee said. However, he noted that economic cooperation between the two countries have yet to reach its full potential.
"India, like Korea, relies heavily on overseas sources for raw materials and energy," Lee said. "In that regard, there is considerable room for cooperation between Korea and India."
![President Lee Jae Myung, right, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung watch a traditional Indian dance after arriving at a hotel in New Delhi on April 19 as they begin their three-day state visit to India. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/20/f0268ead-11f8-4d9f-be47-394bd6088638.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, right, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung watch a traditional Indian dance after arriving at a hotel in New Delhi on April 19 as they begin their three-day state visit to India. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
But despite India's vast population, Lee noted that the number of Korean residents in India is just 12,000.
"Indian authorities also agree that the level of cooperation between Korea and India is considerably low compared to India's immense potential," Lee said. "Therefore, it is highly likely that the relationship between Korea and India will develop to a completely different level from the present, taking tomorrow's summit as an opportunity. We, too, will strive to make that happen."
"The Korean community in India hopes taking your visit as an opportunity, India — with its population of 1.5 billion and its potential as a key production hub for global supply chains — will be recognized as a category of economic territory that Korea must expand," Cho Sang-hyun, president of the Korean Community Association in India, said in his welcoming remarks. "We look forward to seeing tangible results emerge as the government's diplomatic and economic policies are combined with the capabilities of our businesses and the Korean diaspora.
![President Lee Jae Myung, right, speaks with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at a hotel in New Delhi on April 19. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/20/11efe325-2943-4225-b738-98dab29eb35c.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung, right, speaks with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at a hotel in New Delhi on April 19. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
President Lee said he intends to mutually beneficial strategic cooperation between Korea and India and emphasized there is still significant room for expansion in terms of trade volume and the number of Korean companies operating in the South Asian country.
Jaishankar said that the prolonged unstable international situation, including the Middle East war, is an opportunity to further solidify bilateral relations, and pledged the Indian government's active support for Korean companies to expand their presence in the country.
BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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