President Moon pushed ahead with his 'New Southern Policy': Interview

문 대통령, 신남방정책 이행 가속화, 미래 신성장동력 창출, 한반도 평화와 번영 정책 관련 굳건한 지지 확보 The Times of India has published an interview with President Moon in which he said South Korea and India need to build closer ties to ensure a better future for both countries. He called India a "key partner" in his New Southern Policy, praising the talents of its people and noting the potential of its immense market. Cha Sang-mi reports. Seoul's top office shared President Moon Jae-in's written interview with an Indian daily newspaper, just before the president left for his four-day state visit to the South Asian country. In his interview with The Times of India, President Moon referred to India as a key partner for his "New Southern Policy" that encompasses cooperation in infrastructure, defense, science and the economy, as he hailed the nation as the most populous democracy in the world. President Moon wrote that (quote) "he highly values cooperation with South Asian countries." And that's why he sent special envoys to India and ASEAN for the first time last year. 'Building future partnership for People, Prosperity, and Peace' is the vision for the "New Southern Policy". As for South Korea-India economic cooperation, President Moon said the fields are boundless, but expressed his wish to see more collaboration with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives for "Make in India, Smart India, and Digital India". This will be in the manufacturing, infrastructure and high-tech industries. The South Korean leader also mentioned the hundreds of Korean companies doing business in India, including Samsung, LG, and Hyundai Motor Company, and added that start-ups and small and medium sized companies are also eyeing the vast Indian market. He added that bilateral trade and investment should continue as the two sides keep upgrading the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, a free trade agreement between Seoul and New Delhi. When asked about the South Korean government's direction to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of the two inter-Korean summits and the Pyongyang-Washington summit, President Moon vowed to follow through on the decisions made in those landmark meetings, as he quoted India's venerable figure Mahatma Gandhi, saying "There is no path to peace. Peace is the path." President Moon also called on India to work together towards a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula that will be passed on to the South Asian region. Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News. Arirang News Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arirangtvnews ------------------------------------------------------------ [Subscribe Arirang Official YouTube] ARIRANG TV: http://www.youtube.com/arirang ARIRANG RADIO: http://www.youtube.com/Music180Arirang ARIRANG NEWS: http://www.youtube.com/arirangnews ARIRANG K-POP: http://www.youtube.com/arirangworld ARIRANG ISSUE: http://www.youtube.com/arirangtoday ARIRANG CULTURE: http://www.youtube.com/arirangkorean ARIRANG FOOD & TRAVEL : http://www.youtube.com/ArirangFoodTravel ------------------------------------------------------------ [Visit Arirang TV Official Pages] Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arirangtv Twitter: http://twitter.com/arirangworld Instagram: http://instagram.com/arirangworld Homepage: http://www.arirang.com ------------------------------------------------------------ [Arirang K-Pop] YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/arirangworld Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arirangkpop Google+: http://plus.google.com/+arirangworld