Interaction with Korean National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA)

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The Vivekananda International Foundation organized a closed-door interaction with a visiting delegation from the Korean National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), South Korea on 14 June 2019. The interaction covered a gamut of issues from the emerging discourse on Indo-Pacific to the peace process on Korean Peninsula. On Indo-Pacific, the Indian side asserted that it has historical interests in the region that go beyond aligning with the US articulation or containing China. India has constantly reiterated that it supports a free, open, inclusive and a rules-based Indo-Pacific order.

On North Korean crisis, both sides expressed concerns on the unravelling of the Hanoi Summit. Kim Jong Un had assumed the US would agree to sanctions relief in exchange for North Korea dismantling the Yongbyon Nuclear Complex. Yet, both sides remained optimistic in a third US-North Korean Summit by the end of the year to facilitate peace process on the Korean Peninsula. The role of China in dealing with the North Korean crisis (as it is viewed as the sole lifeline of North Korea) was also vigorously debated. The discussions were appraised as useful and insightful by both sides, in understanding perceptions and policies of India and South Korea.