KOREA FOUNDATION

A group of foreigners buy cosmetics in downtown Seoul, then find themselves enticed by soju, the popular Korean spirit, and seasoned fried chicken. Later, they try their luck at claw machines, doing their best to pluck dolls from their depths. Who are they? They are a group of Indian men who appeared on a widely viewed television program highlighting their first visit to Korea last year. Viewers of the program may have been pleasantly surprised to see the Indian men so open to Korean culture and adventure. Their appearance on the show surely broke down Koreans’ simple, stereotypical ideas about India and Indians—eating curry and naan all the time; spending days meditating and soul searching without having any fun times of drinking and dancing; and sticking only to their own traditional culture and values. Likewise, in faraway India, Korean culture is slowly yet markedly expanding its presence, contributing to the formation of Korea-India relations in various fields.
  At the time of President Moon Jae-in’s visit to India in July, an impressive photograph was released showing Indian students welcoming the presidential couple with signs on which greetings were written in Korean. Two months before, in May, the Challenge Korean Quiz King quiz contest was held and as many as 20,000 students came from across the country to wage a heated competition. The Korean Cultural Centre India hosted a Korean cooking competition event in August and taekwondo classes in September and October in efforts to present diverse aspects of Korean culture.
  Recently, a Korean language course opened at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the largest university in the world with over 4 million students enrolled. For the six-month course launched in July, more than 800 students signed up immerse themselves in Korean language learning.
  Relationships among nations usually begin with cultural exchange. During his state visit to India, President Moon met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi 11 times. The exceptional hospitality and support on the part of India exhibited their strong interest in Korea and respect for its culture. Korea’s New Southern Policy and India’s Act East Policy are unlikely to be limited to politics, economy, and security sectors in the future. As long as the two countries keep on taking the present attitudes and measures to publicize and understand each other through multifaceted cultural exchanges, cultural activities will undoubtedly serve as the solid foundation for the development of a bilateral relationship.

Written by Kim Shinyoung

#Korea #India #Culture #Korean