3 min readNew DelhiMay 20, 2026 04:05 PM IST
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu Back, in Seoul, where both sides discussed ways to further deepen India-Republic of Korea defence, defence industry, and strategic cooperation, “with a shared commitment towards regional peace, stability and technological collaboration”.
He also met the South Korean Minister for Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Lee Yong-chul, where both agreed to harness the symbiotic efforts to create avenues for joint development, joint production and joint exports.
In a post on X, Singh said the meeting was highly productive as India and Korea exchanged agreements on promoting defence cyber cooperation between the National Defence College of India and the Korea National Defence University of RoK, and UN Peacekeeping Cooperation.
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.
Singh further said in a separate post that during the meeting with Yong-chul in Seoul, a roadmap to unlock the potential of the ambitious KIND-X initiative “to synergise the innovation ecosystems of the two countries” was discussed.
Singh is currently on an official visit to Vietnam and South Korea. Earlier in the day, he laid a wreath at the National Cemetery of Korea and paid homage to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their nation.
In a statement, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs of South Korea said it will strengthen cooperation with India’s Ministry of Defence on international veterans affairs projects, including honouring veterans and promoting exchanges among descendants of veterans, with India having participated in the Korean War as a medical support nation.
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It said that minister Kwon Oh-eul and Singh will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ‘International Veterans Affairs Cooperation between the Republic of Korea and India’ on Thursday at the Indian War Memorial at Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
The statement noted that during the Korean War, India dispatched 627 medical personnel from the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance, the largest contingent among the medical support nations.
It said that under the MoU, the two governments will cooperate in areas including: collecting materials related to the Korean War and honouring veterans; exchange and cooperation programs for descendants of veterans and future generations; academic, educational, and cultural projects highlighting the significance of participation in the war; and the establishment of commemorative facilities.
