South Korean President Park Geun-hye, the country’s first woman president, is in India on a four-day State visit, providing a valuable opportunity to New Delhi and Seoul to impart new dynamism to their bilateral relations. After ignoring each other for years, India and South Korea are also now beginning to recognise the importance of tighter ties. Despite establishing diplomatic ties in 1973, the two nations hardly figured in each other’s foreign policy calculus.
Former Indian Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao, paid a historic visit to South Korea in 1993, encouraging greater economic cooperation and inviting Korean investors to invest in India to help in India’s economic rejuvenation after years of economic stagnation. The resulting courtship was highlighted by then South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak’s state visit to New Delhi in January 2010, when he was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. During his stay, New Delhi and Seoul decided to elevate their bilateral relationship to a “strategic partnership.” The Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, reciprocated by visiting South Korea in 2012.
Despite pursuing a “Look East” policy since early 1990s, New Delhi failed to generate momentum in ties with South Korea. South Korean businesses did not begin to view India as an important destination for investments until after the 1997 financial crisis. South Korea still remained focused on China as an economic partner and has only recently made India a major economic and political priority. With a renewed push from both sides, things have improved dramatically on the economic front over the past few years. There is now an annual dialogue on foreign policy and security, allowing the two nations to share their views on regional and global security issues.
The visit of former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam to South Korea in 2006 led to the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that came into force in January 2010. Even as India-Japan trade stands steady at around $11 billion annually, India-South Korea trade grew to more than $15 billion in 2012, with the two sides aiming to double it by 2014. During the Summit Meeting in March 2012, a new bilateral trade target of US$ 40 billion by 2015 was set.
South Korean firms are increasing their brand presence in India, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce has also been established in Korea. South Korea is currently the fifth largest source of investment in India. Linkages with the Indian economy can help Korea grow at far higher rates than it is currently experiencing.
While economic ties between India and South Korea have been diversifying across various sectors, defence cooperation between the two states has also gathered momentum, reflecting the rapid changes in Asian balance of power. In 2005, India and South Korea inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Defence, Industry and Logistics, which was followed in 2006 by another MoU on cooperation between the two countries’ coast guards. A MoU on exchange of defence- related experience and information, and for promoting cooperation in humanitarian assistance and international peace keeping activities was signed in 2005 along with a MoU to identify futuristic defence technology areas of mutual interest and the undertaking of research and development works in both countries. Co-development and co-production of defence products (marine systems, electronics and intelligent systems) was identified as a priority task with Indian industry through the DRDO. After purchasing eight warships from South Korea in 2012, India’s Ministry of Defence has decided to award a US $1.2 billion contract to South Korea’s Kangnam Corporation for eight mine-countermeasure vessels.
South Korea is one of the world’s leaders in naval ship-building technology, and India would like to tap into South Korean naval capabilities to augment its own. As a result, naval cooperation is rapidly emerging as a central feature of bilateral defence cooperation, with the two navies cooperating in anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean region and the Gulf of Aden. Both States also share a strong interest in protecting the sea lines of communication in the Indian Ocean region. Maritime security is a key interest of both nations in order to secure vital energy supplies that pass through the Indian Ocean.
Other sectors of convergence include nuclear energy and space. As a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, South Korea supported the waiver granted to India at the 45-nation grouping’s September 2008 meeting. This then led to India signing a civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement with South Korea in 2011. Space cooperation between the two States is also growing. India launched South Korea’s KITSAT-3 satellite in 1999 and has now invited Seoul to join the Indian expedition to the moon — Chandrayaan 2.
The China factor in India-South Korea ties cannot be underestimated. At a time when India’s tensions with China have become more manifest, there are signs that South Korea, too, is re-evaluating its ties with China. Seoul has grown disillusioned with Beijing’s shielding of North Korea from the global outrage over the Cheonan incident. An international investigation convened by South Korea concluded that the sinking of the warship, which killed 46 South Korean sailors in March 2010, was the likely result of a torpedo fired by a North Korean submarine. Instead of berating Pyongyang, China watered down a UN Security Council presidential statement that, while condemning the incident, failed to hold North Korea responsible. As a result, no punishment has been meted out to North Korea for its brinkmanship. China’s overly cautious response to continuing North Korean nuclear and missile provocations has also not helped.
China’s declaration in November 2013 of a new Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) has also raised tensions between Seoul and Beijing as China’s new ADIZ also overlaps with about 3,000 square kilometres of South Korea’s own ADIZ. As if in response, Japan has decided to recognize South Korean sovereignty over islets known as Dokdo, which the Japanese call Takeshima. In return, the South Korea government has promised to suspend all official efforts to change the name of the sea in which Dokdo is located from “Sea of Japan” to “East Sea.” As they carefully assess the evolving strategic environment in the Asia-Pacific region, New Delhi and Seoul need to advance their political ties so that a mutually beneficial and long-term partnership can evolve between the two sides. The resulting relationship could be as important for greater regional stability as it will for Indian and South Korean national interests.
Source:dnaindia.com
Sunday, 2 February 2014
President holds series of talks in India
President Park Geun-hye, now on her four-day state visit to India, held a series of talks with the Lok Sabha’s, the lower house of parliament’s, Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj and Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on January 16.
They exchanged their in-depth opinions on how to enhance bilateral cooperation and deal with a wide range of issues on the Korean Peninsula and worldwide.
The meetings came just after President Park had a summit with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and signed an array of agreements with her counterpart.
During the talks with Sushma Swaraj, President Park said, “Here, I saw, in person, how far India has come. This country has strong potential for economic growth.” Stressing that Korea’s strong point is its manufacturing industry while India’s is in IT services, the president emphasized that the two economies have complementary economic structures and that therein lies high potential for a further expansion of bilateral cooperation across many fields.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader said that she was deeply impressed by Park’s visit to her nation, pointing out that this visit takes place less than one year after the president took office.
Swaraj also said, “I have strong confidence that her diplomatic efforts with India are sure to succeed during her term, with still another four years to go.”
“Even if my Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People’s Party) comes into power in the next election, we would respect every single word from those many agreements signed by the Korean and Indian governments at this time,” she stressed.
President Park expressed her deepest gratitude to the Indian government for its swift action of releasing a statement and sending stern messages condemning North Korea’s long-range missile tests in 2012 and its nuclear test in February 2013. She called for India’s continuous support and cooperation for her government’s policies on the North.
The president went on to say that the North’s highly developed nuclear weapons are posing a huge threat to world peace, as well as to the peninsula. In response, the Indian opposition leader sympathized with Koreans for their pain and worries caused by ceaseless provocative actions by the North.
Following the meeting, President Park also had talks with Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. She told the Indian vice president that she is so happy to see that many Indians have a keen interest in Korean culture and K-pop, adding, “It is, eventually, ‘culture’ that bridges the hearts of people from different cultures.”
“Few countries worldwide have their own movie industry that keeps on going so well. In that sense, both Korea and India have been quite good at it. India’s high-quality movies, food and even yoga have been growing in popularity in Korea,” she added.
In addition, the Korean president called for the world to shift to a new paradigm so as to tackle problems underlying the world economy, such as low growth, high unemployment and income inequality.
As she explained Korea’s strategy for developing the creative industries, the president said that there is quite a lot of room for cooperation between the two nations to develop such creative industries. Her call for the new paradigm was met with strong support from the Indian vice president.
They exchanged their in-depth opinions on how to enhance bilateral cooperation and deal with a wide range of issues on the Korean Peninsula and worldwide.
The meetings came just after President Park had a summit with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and signed an array of agreements with her counterpart.
President Park Geun-hye (second from left) holds talks with the lower house of parliament’s Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj (right) during Park’s state visit to India on January 16. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)
During the talks with Sushma Swaraj, President Park said, “Here, I saw, in person, how far India has come. This country has strong potential for economic growth.” Stressing that Korea’s strong point is its manufacturing industry while India’s is in IT services, the president emphasized that the two economies have complementary economic structures and that therein lies high potential for a further expansion of bilateral cooperation across many fields.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader said that she was deeply impressed by Park’s visit to her nation, pointing out that this visit takes place less than one year after the president took office.
Swaraj also said, “I have strong confidence that her diplomatic efforts with India are sure to succeed during her term, with still another four years to go.”
“Even if my Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People’s Party) comes into power in the next election, we would respect every single word from those many agreements signed by the Korean and Indian governments at this time,” she stressed.
President Park Geun-hye (left) shakes hands with the lower house of parliament’s Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj during the January 16 talks in India. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)
President Park expressed her deepest gratitude to the Indian government for its swift action of releasing a statement and sending stern messages condemning North Korea’s long-range missile tests in 2012 and its nuclear test in February 2013. She called for India’s continuous support and cooperation for her government’s policies on the North.
The president went on to say that the North’s highly developed nuclear weapons are posing a huge threat to world peace, as well as to the peninsula. In response, the Indian opposition leader sympathized with Koreans for their pain and worries caused by ceaseless provocative actions by the North.
Following the meeting, President Park also had talks with Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. She told the Indian vice president that she is so happy to see that many Indians have a keen interest in Korean culture and K-pop, adding, “It is, eventually, ‘culture’ that bridges the hearts of people from different cultures.”
President Park Geun-hye (fourth from left) holds talks with Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari (right, center). (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)
“Few countries worldwide have their own movie industry that keeps on going so well. In that sense, both Korea and India have been quite good at it. India’s high-quality movies, food and even yoga have been growing in popularity in Korea,” she added.
In addition, the Korean president called for the world to shift to a new paradigm so as to tackle problems underlying the world economy, such as low growth, high unemployment and income inequality.
As she explained Korea’s strategy for developing the creative industries, the president said that there is quite a lot of room for cooperation between the two nations to develop such creative industries. Her call for the new paradigm was met with strong support from the Indian vice president.
President Park Geun-hye (left) shakes hands with Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari during the January 16 talks in India. (Photo: Cheong Wa Dae)
source:korea.net
Culture ties Korea, India together
“Korea and India have many things in common in terms of history and culture and even both countries’ Independence Day falls on the same day, August 15. Let’s expand cultural exchanges and further solidify the cultural ties between our two countries.”
So said President Park Geun-hye as she inaugurated the Korean Handicraft Exhibition at the Red Fort, a fortified former palace located in the center of Delhi, India, on January 17 during her four-day state visit to India.
There, the president voiced the importance of “communication through culture.”
The Red Fort, a 254 acre palace founded in 1648 by the 5th Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1657), is one of India’s most important cultural treasures and was even designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, President Park visited the Indian historical site, also known as a symbol of the nation’s independence from British rule in 1947, to pay her respects to and to show her interest in Indian culture. It was a step to enhance the two countries’ cultural ties as well.
Held in the Quarter Guard Gallery in the Red Fort, the handicraft exhibition showcased 49 art works by 22 Korean traditional and modern craftsmen. Korea’s artistic crafts were shared with the Indian visitors, including Kim Jeong-ok’s moon-shaped white porcelain jars, Kwon Young-jin’s lacquered boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Han Seong-jae’s birch-made speakers and An Min-sik’s silver pots.
The show was attended by more than 40 people representing the culture and arts field from both Korea and India. Among the participants included Tara Gandhi, the president of the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director general Pravin Srivastava, the Indian vice minister of culture and famous Korean craft artist Seo Young-hee.
Participating knotting and macramé artist Noh Mi-ja presented Tara Gandhi with a handcrafted bracelet while demonstrating how to do macramé, a form of textile-making using knots.
Noh said that her hope is that the already existing friendship between Korea and India will further be tied together like the knots of her handicrafts. In response, Gandhi said in Korean, “It’s so beautiful,” and put another one of her bracelets around President Park’s wrist.
Meanwhile, the first-ever Korean language audio guide for the Red Fort was inaugurated on the very day of Park’s visit.
“I’ve heard that there are a growing number of Korean tourists visiting this site. This audio service will definitely help them get a better understanding about Indian culture,” President Park hoped.
So said President Park Geun-hye as she inaugurated the Korean Handicraft Exhibition at the Red Fort, a fortified former palace located in the center of Delhi, India, on January 17 during her four-day state visit to India.
There, the president voiced the importance of “communication through culture.”
President Park Geun-hye (center) participates in a tape-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Korean Handicraft Exhibition at the Red Fort in Delhi, India, on January 17. (Photo: Jeon Han)
The Red Fort, a 254 acre palace founded in 1648 by the 5th Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1657), is one of India’s most important cultural treasures and was even designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, President Park visited the Indian historical site, also known as a symbol of the nation’s independence from British rule in 1947, to pay her respects to and to show her interest in Indian culture. It was a step to enhance the two countries’ cultural ties as well.
Held in the Quarter Guard Gallery in the Red Fort, the handicraft exhibition showcased 49 art works by 22 Korean traditional and modern craftsmen. Korea’s artistic crafts were shared with the Indian visitors, including Kim Jeong-ok’s moon-shaped white porcelain jars, Kwon Young-jin’s lacquered boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Han Seong-jae’s birch-made speakers and An Min-sik’s silver pots.
President Park Geun-hye (third from right) appreciates craftwork by macramé artist Noh Mi-ja (left) at the Korean Handicraft Exhibition at the Red Fort in Delhi, India, on January 17. (Photo: Jeon Han)
Tara Gandhi (center), the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, puts a handcrafted bracelet around the wrist of President Park Geun-hye (right) at the Korean Handicraft Exhibition at the Red Fort in Delhi, India, on January 17. (Photo: Jeon Han)
The show was attended by more than 40 people representing the culture and arts field from both Korea and India. Among the participants included Tara Gandhi, the president of the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Museum and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) director general Pravin Srivastava, the Indian vice minister of culture and famous Korean craft artist Seo Young-hee.
Participating knotting and macramé artist Noh Mi-ja presented Tara Gandhi with a handcrafted bracelet while demonstrating how to do macramé, a form of textile-making using knots.
Noh said that her hope is that the already existing friendship between Korea and India will further be tied together like the knots of her handicrafts. In response, Gandhi said in Korean, “It’s so beautiful,” and put another one of her bracelets around President Park’s wrist.
President Park Geun-hye (right) admires an array of works by Korean craftsmen at the Korean Handicraft Exhibition at the Red Fort in Delhi, India, on January 17. (Photo: Jeon Han)
Meanwhile, the first-ever Korean language audio guide for the Red Fort was inaugurated on the very day of Park’s visit.
“I’ve heard that there are a growing number of Korean tourists visiting this site. This audio service will definitely help them get a better understanding about Indian culture,” President Park hoped.
President Park Geun-hye is led to the Diwan-i-Am, the Hall of Audience, at the Red Fort in Delhi, India, on January 17. (Photo: Jeon Han)
President Park Geun-hye (second from right) listens to the guide’s explanation as she admires the red sandstone pillars inside the Red Fort in Delhi, India, on January 17. (Photo: Jeon Han)
source:korea.net
source:korea.net
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Lab for Globalization of Korean Studies
Lab for Globalization of Korean Studies
Vyjayanti Raghavan (Associate Professor Korean Language, Literature & Culture Studies, JNU, New Delhi)
The Strategic Initiative for Korean Studies (SIKS) has itself been an innovative idea for initiating research in Korean studies.
It is committed to and has pioneered many excellent academic works around the globe in the field of Korean studies.
The recently launched Lab for Globalization of Korean studies is also one such innovative initiative which as the name suggests will be a lab for conducting research under the able guidance and direction of a Lab master who will bring together researchers of this area of study and also decide the topic of research.
The world has become far more interdependent now than ever before and it is only right that researchers of the same area of study are linked together for more productive, efficient and less duplication of research work.
In an era when Korea itself has gone global it is only right that Korean studies too become global to keep in tune with the growing interest in the area.
More than anything else, the funding of such globalization of Korean studies will ensure collective participation of researchers who may until now have had an interest but not had the funds to conduct meaningful research on Korea.
This initiative is innovative in that it will help simplify the procedure for conducting research by doing away with bureaucratic procedures and reams of paper work which have largely been responsible for procedural delays and for killing all incentive and motivation for research work.
It is innovative in that it no longer provides just an opportunity and financial aid for conducting research about Korea but will also initiate change in the subject matter to be studied and through that bring about a concurrent change in the global perception of Korean studies.
And which organization is better placed than the Academy of Korean Studies to provide such new models for innovation and experimentation?
source: KSPS,aks.ac.kr
India and South Korea to collaborate on Internet of Things technologies
Technology firms of India and
South Korea, as part of a newly inked agreement to join hands in the cyber
world, could collaborate on the emerging domain of "Internet of Things", or IoT,
projected to be a $19 trillion market over the next several years.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye, during her visit to India last week, pitched for IoT as one area where the two countries should work jointly and address other markets.
"Korea and India will be able to produce a global win-win model through a creative economy from the former's strength in hardware and the latter's competitiveness in software," Park said, addressing an information and communications technology forum. IoT, next-generation smartphones and big data, she said, will be the core engines to achieve a "creative economy" for sustainable growth.
Communications & IT Minister Kapil Sibal and South Korean Science, ICT and Future Planning Minister Choi Mun-Kee signed a "Joint Declaration Of Intent" between the two ministries to "promote, facilitate and support joint ventures, joint initiatives and markets in the ICT sector".
The two sides also agreed to establish the ICT Policy Forum and hold its first meeting this year to discuss cooperation on software and information security.
NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar says there are many things in South Korea that are domain-specific and a partnership would provide an opportunity for Indian firms venturing into newer products and services. The aim would be to "promote the partnership and scale this up."
IoT is a term for connected sensors, devices and objects. It refers to new technologies that will put everything from your home appliances to the most insignificant object on the Internet for remote monitoring and automatic communication.
Market research firm IDC predicts that more than 200 billion items will be connected to the Internet by 2020. Cisco Chief Executive John Chambers says IoT will change the way people live, work and play. "It will be bigger than anything that's ever been done in high tech."
A 2013 McKinsey report estimated various IoT applications could have an economic impact of between $14 trillion and $33 trillion a year by 2025. IDC in a report ranked South Korea second after the US among 20 major countries in terms of preparedness for IoT.
"The opportunity for vendors from India to seize opportunities in the top tier G20 countries with services, analytics and applications specific to IoT is the real story for the country, in addition to the evolving efforts it can place on becoming prepared for the IoT world," Denise Lund, research director, Mobile Enterprise Services and M2M, at IDC, told TelecomLead.com.
British technology guru Kevin Ashton, while working for Procter & Gamble in 1999, supposedly first came up with the term. According to Ashton, efficiency can be increased and waste can be minimised by computer-tagging all objects and people, and dovetailing their needs with production.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, companies like Cisco, GE and Verizon, unveiled their IoT capabilities.
Korean chaebols LG and Samsung revealed entire systems and expensive home appliances for the IoT.
LG's smart fridge, for example, will text you if you're out of milk.
Samsung's Shape speaker system can stream audio wirelessly from the cloud -- no phone or computer needed.
French company Kolibree displayed a connected toothbrush that keeps a tab on what's happening in your mouth.
Earlier this month, Google bought Nest, a smart thermostat and smoke alarm maker. It also displayed a smart contact lens, which monitors diabetics' glucose levels.
Global research institutes expect that the number of identifying devices that are machine-readable in the IoT will amount to as many as 50 billion by 2020 to enable the advent of the new era.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye, during her visit to India last week, pitched for IoT as one area where the two countries should work jointly and address other markets.
"Korea and India will be able to produce a global win-win model through a creative economy from the former's strength in hardware and the latter's competitiveness in software," Park said, addressing an information and communications technology forum. IoT, next-generation smartphones and big data, she said, will be the core engines to achieve a "creative economy" for sustainable growth.
Communications & IT Minister Kapil Sibal and South Korean Science, ICT and Future Planning Minister Choi Mun-Kee signed a "Joint Declaration Of Intent" between the two ministries to "promote, facilitate and support joint ventures, joint initiatives and markets in the ICT sector".
The two sides also agreed to establish the ICT Policy Forum and hold its first meeting this year to discuss cooperation on software and information security.
NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar says there are many things in South Korea that are domain-specific and a partnership would provide an opportunity for Indian firms venturing into newer products and services. The aim would be to "promote the partnership and scale this up."
IoT is a term for connected sensors, devices and objects. It refers to new technologies that will put everything from your home appliances to the most insignificant object on the Internet for remote monitoring and automatic communication.
Market research firm IDC predicts that more than 200 billion items will be connected to the Internet by 2020. Cisco Chief Executive John Chambers says IoT will change the way people live, work and play. "It will be bigger than anything that's ever been done in high tech."
A 2013 McKinsey report estimated various IoT applications could have an economic impact of between $14 trillion and $33 trillion a year by 2025. IDC in a report ranked South Korea second after the US among 20 major countries in terms of preparedness for IoT.
"The opportunity for vendors from India to seize opportunities in the top tier G20 countries with services, analytics and applications specific to IoT is the real story for the country, in addition to the evolving efforts it can place on becoming prepared for the IoT world," Denise Lund, research director, Mobile Enterprise Services and M2M, at IDC, told TelecomLead.com.
British technology guru Kevin Ashton, while working for Procter & Gamble in 1999, supposedly first came up with the term. According to Ashton, efficiency can be increased and waste can be minimised by computer-tagging all objects and people, and dovetailing their needs with production.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, companies like Cisco, GE and Verizon, unveiled their IoT capabilities.
Korean chaebols LG and Samsung revealed entire systems and expensive home appliances for the IoT.
LG's smart fridge, for example, will text you if you're out of milk.
Samsung's Shape speaker system can stream audio wirelessly from the cloud -- no phone or computer needed.
French company Kolibree displayed a connected toothbrush that keeps a tab on what's happening in your mouth.
Earlier this month, Google bought Nest, a smart thermostat and smoke alarm maker. It also displayed a smart contact lens, which monitors diabetics' glucose levels.
Global research institutes expect that the number of identifying devices that are machine-readable in the IoT will amount to as many as 50 billion by 2020 to enable the advent of the new era.
source:NDTV gadgets.
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