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Korea launches Global South diplomacy in India as Lee bonds with Modi before heading to Vietnam

Published: 21 Apr. 2026, 14:05 Updated: 22 Apr. 2026, 00:53

SARAH KIM
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Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands at a state dinner hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on April 20. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

NEW DELHI — President Lee Jae Myung wrapped up his trip to India, an occasion to deepen bilateral energy cooperation and launch Korea's diplomatic initiative toward the Global South, and headed to Vietnam on Tuesday to begin a four-day state visit.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a statement Monday that Lee's state visit to India "signaled the full-scale launch of our Global South diplomacy," referring to developing economies located in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. India has been positioning itself as a leader and bridge with the Global South.

Wi added that the trip created new momentum for cooperation with India, which is experiencing rapid growth based on its 1.4 billion population, and expanded the horizons of bilateral ties into future-oriented and strategic fields.

Lee, during his three-day state visit to India, also strengthened his personal bond with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi through their bilateral summit and state luncheon.

Lee, a former teen factory worker, expressed his deep bond with Prime Minister Modi, stating that he felt as "delighted as if a young worker and a chaiwala [tea seller] had met an old friend," according to Wi, referring to Modi's past as a young merchant who sold chai, an Indian-style black tea.

From left, Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Indian President Droupadi Murmu and first lady Kim Hea Kyung attend a state dinner in New Delhi on April 20. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The two leaders, who met twice before on the margins of multilateral summits last year, also shared the view that both countries need to achieve development through cooperation across a wide range of fields, based on democratic values.
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During their summit, Modi shared that Indian poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore predicted that Korea would become the "Light of the East."

According to Wi, Modi said Tagore's prophecy has become a reality and led to a "Revolution of Light."

Lee noted that only 12,000 Koreans live in India and just 670 Korean companies operate there, a paltry number considering India's population and economic scale. He urged the two nations to "pursue cooperation on a different level from the present, including private-sector exchanges, economic cooperation, and security cooperation."

"The two leaders exchanged views on how Korea and India can contribute to international peace and stability amid rapidly changing international circumstances, including the Korean Peninsula issue and the recent situation in the Middle East, as well as on ways to cooperate as major energy-importing countries and secure key raw materials such as naphtha," Wi said.

He added that the two leaders also discussed long-term national development strategies and visions for core technologies such as AI, as well as the economic and social challenges facing both countries.

Korean President Lee Jae Myung, right, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung depart Palam Air Base in New Delhi on April 21, wrapping a three-day state visit to India. They head next to Vietnam, the second leg of a six-day tour. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Lee also proposed that Modi visit Korea at an appropriate time in the future, and Modi "responded positively," according to Wi.

Wi added that due to the cordial atmosphere, the summit and dinner banquet on Monday went well beyond the scheduled time. The state dinner hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu ran over by more than an hour.

On Wednesday, Lee will hold a bilateral summit with To Lam, Vietnam's president and the Communist Party's general secretary, in Hanoi, followed by a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding and a state dinner.

President Lee Jae Myung, front left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, front right, arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi to begin a three-day state visit to Vietnam on April 21. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Korea and Vietnam have already agreed to reach a bilateral trade volume of $150 billion by 2030, Wi said, adding the two sides “intend to strengthen mutually beneficial strategic cooperation in core sectors for national development, such as infrastructure and nuclear power."

The Blue House said in a statement Tuesday that the purpose of Lee's visit to Vietnam is to establish an early relationship of trust with the Vietnamese leader and to "build an optimal partnership with Vietnam as a core global collaborator."

Vietnam is South Korea's third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, with bilateral trade reaching a record high of $94.6 billion last year.

As of last year, Korea's total investment in Vietnam reached $56.8 billion, with approximately 10,000 Korean companies operating locally.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]