Ambassador SHIN Bong-kil’s tenure in India eventful, productive: KOCHAM

By Mr. JUNG Hee-chul, Secretary-General, KOCHAM in India.

NEW DELHI. India never once was classified as a travel restriction zone thanks to H.E. SHIN Bong-kil, Ambassador, the Republic of Korea in New Delhi.

Citizens of both countries freely traveled to Seoul from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai during the Covid surges, and throughout the period as special direct flights continued.

The Embassy continued normal operation with the Ambassador not missing a day of work. Its doors were open to our companies, and the staff was all present and ready to assist the Korean community.

Feeling assured, KOCHAM made no demand whatsoever regarding the protection of personnel and property.  Thanks to the leadership of the Ambassador, most KOCHAM members, and their families stayed behind in India.

The KOCHAM was privileged to meet ministerial level from various branches of the public sector and members of the national assembly, under the auspices of the Ambassador.

Even President Moon Jae-in and the First Lady made State and Official visits for two consecutive years to India. On all those occasions, KOCHAM was invited guest of honor, which was a huge morale booster and open acknowledgment of the contributions of KOCHAM members working in India.

KOCHAM was regarded by Ambassador as a major pillar in the India-Korea relationship. In his speech opportunity, in most interviews and article contributions to the Indian media, the Ambassador emphasized Kocham’s role between both countries.

Kocham Chairman was always invited to the head table of Embassy events.

Thanks to the effort of the Ambassador, the Korean language and its history are now part of grade school subjects.

India’s future generation is already getting interested in K-Culture, and it will now know more about the cultural and historical diversity of the far eastern country.

This is a significant opportunity for the Korean companies wishing to recruit not just young skilled, but Korean-speaking Indian employees.

About the author:

JUNG Hee-chul is the Secretary-General of KOCHAM, which is a representative industry body of about 750 Korean companies in India. He is also Chief Representative (Director), Korea International Trade Association (KITA), New Delhi. Established in 1946 with the objective of advancing the Korean economy through trade, KITA is currently the largest business organization in Korea with over 70,000 member companies.

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