The Seoul Connection

India and South Korea have joined hands in the nuclear sector. Seoul is anxious to enter the sector in India and has upped the ante for competing firms. That gives New Delhi more flexibility in ensuring competitive pricing. 45% of South Korea’s electricity is generated by nuclear power plants. Its expertise should be an asset to India which aims at hiking its installed nuclear capacity by a factor of more than seven by 2022. Equally important is the geo strategic parameter. Seoul wants to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime and other such groups. Both India and South Korea have made it abundantly clear that their strategic partnership is not targeted against China. However, Beijing is wielding its clout in the region and in view of that, the Indo-South Korean connection is a move in the right direction. Besides, New Delhi and Seoul are in agreement on Pyongyang’s nuclear designs and belligerance. North Korea has been sending feelers to Pakistan in carrying out nuclear exchanges. What is of greater importance is that the strategic partnership between India and South Korea is buttressed by economic ties. During this year the two countries signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. As a result, bi-lateral trade has increased by 65% and a target has been set for $40 billion by 2015. The two countries should maximise this potential. The IT sector commands the highest priority. Besides, India’s need for infrastructure development is of the utmost importance. South Korea’s known expertise in this field can be of great help to India. But the hurdles to implementation of agreements have to be removed. The POSCO experience is a dampener.