South Korean FM Cho visited Delhi, lauded India, discussed closer ties

New Delhi

Senior diplomat Gourangalal Das has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday. A 1999-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, Das is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the MEA. According to the ministry, he is expected to assume his new role in Seoul shortly. The Indian Embassy in South Korea also shared the news on X, stating, “Gourangalal Das appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea.” At present, Amit Kumar is serving as India’s Ambassador to South Korea.

Earlier this month, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun visited New Delhi and met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. During his visit, Cho reflected on his tenure as South Korea’s Ambassador to India from 2015 to 2017, praising India’s transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He expressed his admiration for India’s culture and the warmth of its people, and appreciated the progress made over the past decade. Cho also met Jaishankar to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and address regional and global challenges.

India and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1973, while consular ties date back to 1962. The partnership was elevated to a “Strategic Partnership” in 2010 and further upgraded to a “Special Strategic Partnership” during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Seoul in 2015. In 2023, both countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations with events marking the milestone. Das’s appointment comes at a time when India-South Korea ties continue to grow across trade, technology, and strategic cooperation.