Seoul/New Delhi: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu Back, in Seoul, where both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of defence cooperation and discussed ways to further expand collaboration in areas such as industry, production, maritime security, emerging technologies, military exchanges, logistics and regional security.
He also met the South Korean Minister for Defence Acquisition Program Administration, Lee Yong-chul, and both agreed to harness the symbiotic efforts to create avenues for joint development, production, and exports.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said that both sides acknowledged the growing convergence between India’s Act East Policy and the RoK’s regional strategic vision, “reiterating their commitment to strengthening defence ties in line with the shared objectives of maintaining a free, open, inclusive and rule-based Indo-Pacific.”
It added that the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were inked in key areas of defence cooperation, reflecting the expanding scope and depth of the bilateral partnership.
In a post on X, Singh said the meeting was highly productive. Talking about the various agreements exchanged, he said this makes the India-South Korea partnership stronger and multidimensional.
“Looking forward to strengthening the special strategic partnership between our nations,” he said.
He also highlighted that defence manufacturing is no longer confined only to conventional platforms and equipment, as modern defence ecosystems are powered by advanced electronics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber technologies, sensors, semiconductors, quantum technologies, advanced materials, and space-based capabilities.
