Jagannath Panda was interviewed by Firstpost about why South Korean President Lee’s India visit is a strategic game-changer
April 20, 2026: Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, was interviewed by Firstpost about why South Korean President Lee’s India visit is a strategic game-changer.
“It has taken so long because India-South Korea ties were never broken, but they were often overshadowed by each side’s more immediate strategic compulsions,” Panda explains.
“South Korea remained heavily consumed by North Korea, alliance management with the United States, and its deep economic exposure to China. India, meanwhile, was preoccupied with managing China on the Himalayan frontier, Pakistan-related security concerns, and a crowded major-power agenda.”
Jagannath Panda also co-authored a commentary for the Times of India: India and South Korea need a strategic leap