China’s Growing Influence, North Korea’s Nuclear Programme Discussed at Delhi Conference

Emerging geopolitical challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and opportunities to strengthen India-South Korea relations were discussed at an international conference organised at Mata Sundri College for Women in New Delhi.
 

The conference, titled India-South Korea Relations: Emerging Issues and Challenges in the Indo-Pacific, was held at the college's Mata Gujri Auditorium.
 

Hojeong Ko, Director of the Korea Economic Cooperation Committee (KEC), attended the inaugural session as the chief guest. Dr Charan Singh, CEO and founder of the EGROW Foundation, and Professor Rekha Saxena, Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi, were present as special guests.
 

The conference was organised by the Department of Political Science at Mata Sundri College in collaboration with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and under the patronage of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC).
 

Addressing the gathering, College Principal Professor (Dr) Harpreet Kaur highlighted the importance of international academic cooperation. She emphasised the need to strengthen India's strategic partnerships and make young researchers more aware of the challenges associated with foreign policy.
 

Several experts shared their perspectives during the conference, including Dr Neerja Samajdar, Associate Professor at the Centre for Korean Studies; Dr Torunika Roy, Research Associate at CSDR; and Aman K. Pandey, Research Associate at ICWA.
 

The discussions covered a wide range of areas concerning India-South Korea cooperation, including trade and investment, semiconductor technology, defence partnerships, maritime security, supply chains, green energy and improved connectivity between the two countries.
 

Participants also examined major geopolitical developments affecting the Indo-Pacific region. These included China's growing influence, North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, and the changing strategic balance in the region.
 

During the concluding session, former diplomat C. Rajasekhar Chintapalli and Professor Sandeep Kumar Mishra from Jawaharlal Nehru University underlined the importance of stronger diplomatic engagement to ensure regional peace, stability and prosperity.
 

The conference concluded with Principal Harpreet Kaur expressing gratitude to the guests, speakers and participants.
 

The successful organisation of the event was supported by Head of the Department Professor (Dr) Rubal Rani Sharma, co-conveners Dr Neetu Sharma and Dr Avneet Kaur, and IQAC Director Professor (Dr) Lokesh Kumar Gupta.