Gourangalal Das Appointed as India's New Envoy to South Korea

The Ministry of External Affairs has officially named Gourangalal Das as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea. Das, a prominent 1999-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, is currently the Joint Secretary in the Ministry and will soon move to Seoul to begin his ambassadorial duties, according to a statement released by the MEA on Wednesday.

The announcement was also echoed by the Indian Embassy in South Korea on social media platform X, affirming Das's new appointment. Until this transition, Amit Kumar has been serving as India's Ambassador to South Korea. Earlier this month, Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun was in New Delhi, where he engaged in bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and fondly recalled his own past diplomatic service in India from 2015 to 2017, during which time he noted India's dynamic changes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

India and South Korea enjoy a deep-rooted diplomatic relationship, having established ties on December 10, 1973, and further reinforcing their connection through the elevation to a 'Strategic Partnership' in 2010, eventually reaching a 'Special Strategic Partnership' in 2015 during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Seoul. In 2023, both countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations, highlighting key milestones and strengthening bonds between them.