Dr. Lakhvinder Singh, popularly known as the “Father of India-Korea Strategic Cooperation” is a multifaceted social and strategic thinker. Based in Seoul, South Korea for more than two decades, he has played a major role in shaping the evolution of this strategic partnership through his writings, seminars, conferences, and various other social activities. He holds two doctorates in Korean studies from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, and international politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi and a senior fellowship from Harvard University in the USA. Honorary citizenship of Korea was conferred upon him in 2018 by the Seoul City for his leading social and academic work. 

In a wide-ranging interview with Journalist Monica Younsoo Chung, the Korea IT Times, Dr. Singh talked about the multiple projects he involved in currently and shared his views on future plans for the Sikh community in Korea, Korea peace movement and the Future of India-Korea strategic ties. 

 

 

Q:  First, congratulations on the success of your community members becoming full citizens the Korean society.  What can Sikhism do for the cooperation between Korea and India?

A: Thank you so much for your support and kind words. This is an important milestone for us. We are very excited and full of new dreams. As you know, Sikhs are known around the world for their farming and soldiering skills.  Due to the changing socio-economic situation of Korea, both skills are in short supply. Sikhs can play a vital role in meeting the needs of Korean society in these two critical areas which are directly related to national security. Food security is as important as the physical security of a country.

Q: In the past, Sikh farmers started work in Korea in the agricultural sector, but into what fields they have expanded since becoming part of Korean society?

A: They started in the farming sector, but now are engaged in other sectors such as trading, hospitality & restaurants, factory work, retail, and even education.  Unlike in the past, there are no legal restrictions, so the sky is the limit.  In the coming years, Sikhs are expected to fill multiple roles in the Korean economy and society. Many young people are preparing to join the Korean national defense forces.

Q: I am wondering if Sikh students will bring their Kirpan (which is like a small dagger that is a part of Sikh religious practice) inside their clothes to schools? Although the Kirpan is a religious symbol, some people may see it as a weapon.

A: That is a very good question. We are also concerned to what extent Korea will allow us to freely practice our religion. Thus far the signs are good. Korea is opening up to foreign cultures and accommodating more diverse cultures and religious denominations. We will cross that bridge when we come to it, but for now, we are not worried about this situation too much.

Q: What changes improved the quality of life for the Sikh community since gaining Korean nationality?

A:  So much has changed indeed. Early on, due to its visa restrictions Sikhs were confined to only a few activities. Now we are spreading further into Korean society and economy. We are no longer keeping a low profile and are practicing our religion openly. This is very positive and promising. In the coming years, Sikhs expect to see themselves deeply integrated into Korean society. Beautiful Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh temple) in Seoul is just a matter of time now.

Q: You have been serving as the president of the Punjabi Association of Korea for six years now. What kinds of work your association does?

A:  We organize many cultural events with Korean invitees so they may glimpse our culture every year. It is part of our outreach program. In the coming years, we plan to organize many more such events on a bigger scale to build and strengthen stronger ties between Sikhs and Korea. I strongly believe cultural understanding is a powerful force that can bring our two great nations together.

Q: You are also serving as president of the Korea Peace Movement. What do you do in the movement?

A: The Korean Peace Movement is focused on strengthening the internal cohesion of Korean society. On the surface, Korean society looks idyllic, but upon closer inspection, you find that it is under tremendous stress. In our movement, we address those issues which are hurting the Korean society from within.

Q: Can you please elaborate on this point more?

A: Currently, Korea is facing five major problems; namely low childbirth rate, higher youth unemployment and economic slowdown, security threats with the rise of the Chinese navy, nuclear war crisis with North Korea, and climate change.  Earlier these issues were operating independently, but now they have started reinforcing each other. This means each problem cannot be solved without solving the other ones as well. With each passing day, the situation is becoming more difficult & complex. That is why I often say Korea is heading towards an unprecedented serious social and economic melting point.  All of us must put our heads together and come up with the right workable solutions for these problems. Our movement tries to do that. We organize lots of seminars and conferences in order to interact with various stakeholders in Korean society and publish widely in Korean and international media outlets.

Q: Recently you have been talking a lot about India’s role in peacebuilding on the Korean peninsula. Why is peace on the Korean peninsula is so important for India?

A: That is a very good question. Peace is the only thing we Indians know. Our religious scriptures and spiritual leaders have been talking about it since time immemorial. In India’s five-thousand-year history it has never attacked any other country; like Korea, we have raised arms only to defend ourselves. As I have tried to elaborate in my recent writings published by the Korean and international media, India played a powerfully effective role during the Korean War. Our political leadership did its best to bring it to a stop as soon as possible. India also played an important role in post-war settlements. More than seventy years have since passed and Korea is still divided.  We, as children of Mahatma Buddha and Gandhi ji, strongly feel a great wrong was done to the most peaceful, loving people on earth by dividing homogeneous people in such a violent manner. There is no way we can remain quiet in the face of such a tragedy. We believe a strong, united, and democratic Korea is in India’s interest and will play a larger and positive role in the emerging new order in the region. Nuclear war on the Korean peninsula will not only destroy the Korean peninsula but will also hurt the entire region. We are together in this.

Q: What is happening on the economic front? Can both achieve fifty billion targets by 2030?

A:  Unfortunately, not so much. Our trade growth rate is too low to feel good about it. Also, no big investment project has come from Korea in years. Most of the Korean companies which started moving out of China are now going to southeast Asia, not India. Very few are selecting India as their new home.  I have serious doubts if the target of 50 billion trade will be achieved by 2030. I am very seriously concerned that no serious attempt is being made to address the issues which are stopping India-Korea economic cooperation from reaching the next level. Officials are only providing lip service to much-needed measures. They are mostly focused on empty spinning instead of doing the heavy lifting on the ground.

Q: Recently you have been talking about the role of culture is to bring two groups of people together. What positive or negative role is culture playing in bringing together our two countries?

A: Cultural understanding can be a powerful force in bringing any two nations together if properly employed.  Despite having our culture center in Seoul for more than ten years now, we have failed miserably to use the power of cultural appreciation to build stronger partnerships between our two countries. Most Koreans still do not know much about India and its cultural values.  Racial attacks against Indians are continuing unabated and are preventing people to people contacts. Many Koreans still hold strong prejudices towards Indians. If we want to build a powerful partnership, it is imperative that both countries develop mutual respect and appreciation. Without this, there is no hope. First, we must have love and respect each other’s way of life. After that, we can think of doing some business or defense cooperation together. So, the establishment of the Indian Culture Center in Seoul was an important step.  Unfortunately, the significance of this institution could not be properly understood by our officials and it has ended up doing things such as teaching Indian dances and cuisine to school-age children and housewives and holding expensive India festivals in elite locations. No sincere effort was made to reach out to common Koreans. What could be worse than this?

Q: What is your take on defense cooperation between India and Korea?

A: As you may know my whole academic work is dedicated to building a strong and powerful defense partnership between India and Korea. I strongly believe both countries as democracies are natural partners in defending our shared way of life. I believe the potential for cooperation in this field is limitless. In recent years both countries have been making good progress in the defense industry sector as well. Presently many Korean defense companies are showing enormous interest in the ever-expanding of the Indian defense sector. 

Q: The balance of power is shifting in the region. What kind of role do you see for both countries in the emerging new order?

A: The USA-led security architecture which kept the peace for seventy long years in the region is getting weaker by the day. Slowly power is leaning towards China. Both India and Korea will need each other like never before in this changed balance of power scenario. They can help each other in multiple ways to prepare for the post-American regional order. Bilateral and multilateral frameworks both countries should assist each other in creating new institutional mechanisms for conflict management and sustaining peace in the region.

Q: Why is the Japan-Korea-India trilateral alliance so important in your eyes.

A: Today while India-Japan strategic cooperation is flourishing, the India-Korea strategic cooperation has reached a standstill. This can create serious problems going forward. India-Korea and Japan are three of the most successful democracies in Asia. In this era of great power transition, they must stay together. Any discords between these three powers can be easily exploited by rivals and undermine our efforts. To defend our shared values, we must stay together. United we stand. Divided we fall to our death.

Q: What kind of role you see for the Korean navy in the Indian ocean?

A: Today South Korea has one of the most powerful modern naval forces in the region. According to media reports, it is planning to have two aircraft carriers in the coming years: a medium-sized 70,000-ton carrier and a 40,000-ton light-duty carrier. The move to gain the F-35B signals that the country is preparing to protect its interests in the region more aggressively. With China increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean, India- Korea naval cooperation can go a long way in protecting our strategic interests in the region. With Korea heavily dependent on free lanes of communications in the Indian Ocean for trade and energy supplies, Korea has a high stake in making sure the Ocean does not fall into the wrong hands.

Q: What is your take on the overall state of India-Korea ties?

A:  Honestly, I am seriously worried about the current state of India -Korea ties. Everything which could go wrong has gone wrong. Nothing much is moving up. Officials are keeping up a brave face and spinning it as much as possible, but the truth of the matter is that our officials have failed to rise to the occasion and utilize the available opportunities. Slowly but surely, we are losing Korea.  Today, Korea is tilting towards China like never before. Our policymakers do not like to accept this. But this is the ground reality. We must move fast.

Q: What do you recommend taking the India-Korea cooperation to the next level? 

A: That is an excellent question. If we want to take India-Korea ties to the next level, we must do the following three things.
We must have a paradigm shift in the way we approach India- Korea economic cooperation. We must repackage our strengths and make sure not to look so weak in front of Koreans. Currently, Koreans usually have the upper hand in economic negotiations. This must end. We are one of the biggest consumer markets in the world. We must regain and retain the upper hand.

We must disband the current Indian Chamber of Commerce in Seoul and replace it with a more powerful and resourceful economic support organization. The current Chamber is not equipped with the tools and means to meet the needs of the new economic realities in the region and in India–Korea economic ties. The current Chamber is being used by only a hand full of companies to promote their own corporate interests. It has failed in protecting and promoting the Indian economic interests in Korea. Plus, it has failed to serve the needs of the wider Indian business community. Ninety-nine percent of Indians do not even know about its existence, let alone know about how to access its services. A new commerce body led by able Indian leadership with a deeper understanding of the economic functioning of the region is the urgent need of the hour. Without a new commerce body and new and bigger vision for India Korea economic cooperation, there is no hope.

Second, cultural issues hindering person-to-person ties need to be addressed adequately.  Racial discrimination against Indians is a serious issue that must be addressed at the highest level possible. , Currently, the Indian Culture Center has been drafted into a diplomatic setup. It has become difficult for common Korean citizens to use their services. The Culture Center must be separate from routine diplomatic functioning so that ordinary people can drop in any time and access services with ease. The Culture Center must also focus on the bigger picture of bringing two people and civilizations closer together.

Third, The India-Korea defense cooperation must remain focused on defending our way of life. Currently, India-Korea defense cooperation has been hijacked by the very powerful defense industry lobby. India-Korea defense cooperation is much more than India buying new weapons systems from Korea. The India-Korea defense cooperation must be liberated from the greedy hands of the defense industry lobby and refocus on defending our nations from regional security threats.

I believe our policymakers will sincerely investigate these issues while we still have time. The power is shifting is very fast in these regions. Tomorrow may be too late.