‘Korea can be a strong partner for Make in India’

Chennai

The civilisation links between India and Korea run deep, said Tayal. Poet Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, ‘The Lamp of the East’, has a mention of Korea in its unforgettable verse. Tagore wrote, “In the golden age of Asia, Korea was one of its lamp-bearers, And that lamp is waiting to be lighted once again, For the illumination of the East…” Koreans revere Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, said Tayal. 

“During my time, we proposed to build a statue of Tagore in Seoul, a city that has no other statue of a global dignitary. But Korean officials responded enthusiastically and within a year, Tagore’s statue was installed in a prominent area of Seoul,” he explained. 

Tayal adds, “The trade between the two countries is about 30 billion dollars - a little more than India’s trade with Japan. We see so much of Korea in our daily lives - Hyundai and Samsung are household names. India is well respected by Koreans due to the Buddhist connection.” Tayal pointed out that the two nations share a fascination for each other’s popular culture. 

“In fact, Hindi films like Black, My Name Is Khan, 3 Idiots and others are screened in theatres across Korea. Also, K-pop and K-dramas are much loved across India,” added the diplomat who was in the city to deliver a talk on Destiny & Design: strategic partnership between India and Korea at the InKo Centre. Tayal said, “I see Korea as a very strong partner for Make in India, Skill in India campaigns, which are the focus of the current government. In the future, Korea can play an important role in India’s development,” he concluded.

Literary Union 

In September last year, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had asked the Department of Tamil Development to expedite the Korean translation of the classical Tamil literary work, Thirukkural , written by Thiruvalluvar. Jayalalithaa had said earlier that the translation would help strengthen cultural ties and announced an allocation of Rs 36 lakh towards the project. 

SEOUL-MATE OF TN

• There are around 254 Korean companies operating near Chennai all centred in Sriperumbudur. Eight five per cent of their manufacturing capabilities are focussed on the automobile industry including Hyundai, the car major. 
• These companies are engaged in the manufacture of auto parts like light fittings, seats, car roof fittings, brakes, electrical cables etc. 
• As many as 4000 Korean families reside near Chennai while there are 3000 in New Delhi, 2000 in Kolkata and a little over 1000 in Pune.

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android