President Lee Jae-myung and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintained a friendly atmosphere throughout their third face-to-face meeting, from the official welcoming ceremony to the expanded talks. The two leaders emphasized their personal rapport and the historical ties between the two countries, built on a shared background of rising to the top after overcoming hardships in childhood.
When President Lee stepped out of his vehicle upon arriving at the presidential palace in New Delhi on Thursday (local time), Prime Minister Modi, who had been waiting, approached and greeted him with a smile. The two leaders then jointly planted an Ashoka tree in the landscaped area of the state guest house. Ashoka means "peace" in Sanskrit, an ancient language of India.
At a business forum attended by entrepreneurs from both countries, President Lee introduced the anecdote of Queen Heo, which symbolizes the ancient history of exchanges between the two nations. "When Queen Heo's ship met with fierce waves, the pasa stone pagoda calmed the waves and opened the way," he said. "If we had given up the voyage because we feared the waves, our ties would never have begun." He added, "This bond has crossed 2,000 years, with Korean companies such as Hyundai Motor, Samsung Electronics and LG taking deep root in the lives of the Indian people," stressing, "I look forward to building many more pasa stone pagodas in the future."
This was the third direct meeting between the two leaders. President Lee first greeted Prime Minister Modi at the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in Canada in June last year, and held a separate meeting at the Group of 20 (G20) summit hosted by South Africa in November of the same year.
The fact that President Lee is making a state visit to India as Korean president for the first time in eight years also stems from the strong friendship between the two leaders. This visit, made at Prime Minister Modi's invitation, was arranged in the shortest period following the launch of any Korean administration to date. In an interview with Indian local media released that day, President Lee said, "From the moment I first met Prime Minister Modi in Canada in June last year, I felt a sense of familiarity and gladness, as if meeting an old friend again."
A "selfie" by Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, who attended the luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Modi, also drew attention that day. Samsung Electronics Newsroom released the original selfie taken by Chairman Lee using a Galaxy Z Flip7 produced at Samsung's Noida plant in India. Samsung has been producing mobile phones in Noida since 1996, and manufactures all flagship models, including foldables, as well as mid-range models at its Noida plant in India. Through this, Samsung Electronics said it is contributing to the Indian government's "Make in India" policy. In his interview with local media, President Lee also emphasized the vision of "Make in India, Together with Korea."
