Cultural Relations and People-to-People Diplomacy between India and South Korea

Cultural diplomacy is increasingly becoming an essential pillar of global relations, not just as an instrument of soft power but as a means of creating long-term personal relationships, reconciling historical narratives, shared values, and contemporary global currents. In the Indian-South Korean relationship, these civilizational and cultural ties have created a richly textured and emotionally nuanced dimension of the bilateral relationship. While both countries have pursued strategic, economic, and technological collaboration, their civilizational and cultural ties existed prior to official diplomatic recognition and continue to enlarge in scope and depth in the 21st century. This chapter explores the guiding principles, institutions, programs, and impacts of cultural relations and people-to-people diplomacy between South Korea and India. The chapter begins with an analysis of previous cultural relations, progressing through formal diplomatic endeavors, and to education, tourism, and outreach to diaspora, in an attempt to take a broad perspective of how culture supports ongoing development of bilateral cooperation and trust.