GUWAHATI, June 30 - While there are many similarities between the societies of Assam and Korea, there exist large gaps in both trade and commerce as well as people-to-people contacts, said Cho Hyun, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea while addressing members of the industry and officials of the Government of Assam in an exclusive interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) at Hotel Vivanta by Taj here today.
Acknowledging the tremendous growth India is poised to attain on the merit of various ambitious schemes launched by the Government of India, Hyun stressed the need for improving India-Korea relations.
Expressing satisfaction with his first visit to Assam, Hyun voiced confidence that both the North East and Korea could mutually benefit by creating synergy in areas of common interest. He called for greater interaction between the youths of Korea and the North East through more student exchange programmes.
�Improvement in connectivity would result in the flow of more tourists from Korea to this region, which would help not just the local economy but also invite Korean business to invest,� he added.
Earlier, Swapnanil Baruah, State Commissioner, Dept of Industries and Commerce, spoke about how similar Assam is to Korea in terms of its geography and culture. �Assam should utilise scientific technology to develop its silk industry through collaboration with Korea,� he said.
VS Bhaskar, State Additional Chief Secretary also spoke of the need to engage with Korea in sectors like tourism, education, healthcare, etc.
Shiv Siddanth Kaul, president ICC, while welcoming the Ambassador, appreciated the growth story of Korea over the last few decades which has resulted in various Korean companies like Hyundai, Samsung, LG, etc., becoming household names in India. He expressed hope that the Ambassador�s maiden visit to the North East would mark the beginning of greater economic and socio-cultural partnerships between Korea and the region.
The cultural affairs and tourism departments of the Government of Assam made presentations highlighting the rich heritage of Assam and invited Korea to explore avenues of economic cooperation.
Interacting with the audience, Ambassador Hyun expressed confidence in the growth of Korea-NE India relations and hoped that mediums like art and cinema, education and medical tourism would assist in greater understanding of the two cultures and thus usher in a partnership for mutual benefit.
