Relationship dossier
India
South Korea
Relationship assessment
India and South Korea sustain a strategic partnership with economic and defense cooperation.
India toward South Korea
+45India has supported a sustained partnership with South Korea through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, in force since 2010, and the 2015 upgrade to a Special Strategic Partnership. India has also procured K9 howitzers for domestic production with South Korean participation.
South Korea toward India
+45South Korea has developed economic and strategic cooperation with India through the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the 2015 Special Strategic Partnership. South Korean participation in the K9 howitzer program has also supported Indian defense procurement and domestic production.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship has durable economic and strategic foundations, including a trade agreement, a formal strategic partnership, and defense-industrial cooperation. These arrangements support a substantially cooperative relationship, while uncertainty about implementation and the breadth of cooperation argues against characterizing it as exceptionally close.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
India and South Korea maintain a sustained strategic and economic partnership. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, in force since 2010, provides a framework for trade and investment, and the countries upgraded their relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership in 2015. Defense cooperation includes India’s procurement and domestic production of K9 howitzers developed with South Korean participation. The partnership is substantial, although its depth and implementation vary across sectors.
Key developments
The India–South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force.
The two countries upgraded their relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership.
India procured K9 howitzers for domestic production with South Korean participation.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which bilateral trade and investment commitments have been implemented is unclear.
- The scale and practical scope of defense and security cooperation beyond major procurement programs are uncertain.