Dec 10: India-Republic of Korea Friendship Day to set stage for 50th anniversary celebrations between India and South Korea

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India and the India-Republic of Korea Friendship Society together are organizing the event at the Indo-Korean Friendship Park in New Delhi.

ACN Correspondent On Nov 21, 2022

Suh Wook, Minister of National Defence, Republic of Korea, and his counterpart Rajnath Singh, inaugurated the park.

NEW DELHI: The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in India and the India-Republic of Korea Friendship Society together are going to organize the India-Republic of Korea Friendship Day on December 10 at the Indo-Korean Friendship Park in New Delhi. As many a 150 Korean nationals and the same number of Indians including diplomats, industry leaders, bureaucrats, educationists, along with families have been invited to attend this event which is being organized to celebrate the 49^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the republic of Korea.

The event would witness a series of cultural events including Korean drum performance Samulnori, K-Pop cover dance, and Taekwondo performance.

Chang Jae-bok, Ambassador, Republic of Korea to India would also attend the event and deliver his address. Chang Jae-bok, had started his official visit in India on July 23, 2021 by visiting the Indo-Korean Friendship Park in New Delhi and laid a wreath at the life-size statue of Indian General KS Thimayya here. The Ambassador had assumed his office on July 21.

According to Euy Don Park, Vice President, India-Republic of Korea Friendship Society, and President, Federation of Korean Associations in India, the India-Republic of Korea Friendship Day being organised on December 10 in New Delhi would set the stage for 50^th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the Republic of Korea in 1973, and pave the way for may more events happening the next year in 2023.

The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment between India and the Republic of Korea and both the nations are preparing to organize a series of events to commemorate this big occasion the next year.

Skand Ranjan Tayal, Former Ambassador to the Republic of Korea heads the India-Republic of Korea Friendship Society, and Parth Sharma, President Corporate Development, Reliance Group is the General Secretary of this Society.

The Indo-Korean Friendship Park was established in New Delhi four years ago. India’s first Indo-Korean Friendship Park which is the reminiscence of India’s contribution to the Korean War and age-old Indo-Korean relations was constructed in Thimayya Park in Delhi Cantonment Area by the Indian Army in association with the Korean War Veterans Association and Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in India.

Suh Wook, Minister of National Defence, Republic of Korea (RoK) along with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had inaugurated the park in New Delhi on March 26, 2021.

This park has a life-size statue of Gl. Thimayya who had a strong connection with the Korean War (1950-53) fought between South and North Korea. This celebrated Army officer had played an important role in ending the war and making both the warring sides sign the Korean Armistice Agreement in July 1953.

Situated in the Indian Army Cantonment Area in New Delhi hardly 6 km away from Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Indo-Korean Friendship Park owns strategic significance not only because it is a symbol of strong India-South Korea friendly relations, but it is also the reminiscence of India’s support to South Korea during the Korean War 1950-53.

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