The forum was held on 19–20 August 2026 at Sir Shankar Lal Concert Hall, University of Delhi, and was organised by the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi, in collaboration with the Korea Global Foundation. Professors, researchers, scholars and experts from India, South Korea, China, Russia, Italy, Spain, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and the United Kingdom were listed in the programme for the various discussions.
The inaugural session featured remarks by Prof. Yogesh Singh, Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi, including points concerning possibilities for India-Korea cooperation in technology, education and research. These included possible joint technology programmes, semester exchanges for students, joint PhD supervision and joint research laboratories. His remarks also referred to the role of universities, laboratories, industries, government policies, entrepreneurship and research investment in developing such an ecosystem.
H.E. Lee Seong-ho, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, spoke about the longstanding relationship between Korea and India and the expansion of cooperation across different fields. His address also stressed cooperation and solidarity among countries in dealing with changes in the international environment, and expressed the hope that the forum would contribute to Korea-India cooperation, peace and prosperity.
Dr. Euy Don Park, President of the Southwest Asia Chapter Council, Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), and Chair of the 2026 27th New Delhi World Korea Forum, highlighted India's significance as a strategic partner for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the wider Indo-Pacific. His message identified dialogue, mutual trust and cooperation as important foundations for lasting peace.
Prof. (Dr.) Ranjana Mukhopadhyayaya, Head of the Department of East Asian Studies, in her welcome address, referred to the forum against the backdrop of rapid geopolitical, economic and technological developments in the Indo-Pacific. Her address highlighted the importance of dialogue, academic cooperation and international collaboration in responding to regional and global challenges.
The message of Prof. Dr. Tshangchu Rhee, Executive Head of the Korea Global Foundation, highlighted K-culture's role in generating international interest and cooperation. His message also emphasised dialogue, exchange and cooperation for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula and the importance of discussions on peace and inter-Korean relations.
Several sessions focused on the Korean Peninsula and the security environment in Northeast Asia. The programme included discussions on denuclearisation, nuclear self-reliance, inter-Korean relations, US-DPRK relations, North Korea's ties with China and Russia, and India's interests and strategic role on the Korean Peninsula.
Peace, reconciliation and Korean unification were also among the subjects discussed. Sessions examined the role of multilateral groups and the Global South, India's perspective on Korean unification, economic engagement between the two Koreas, common security and prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The forum also addressed broader changes in the international order, including the role of great and middle powers in the Indo-Pacific, Indian and Chinese perspectives on global developments, relations involving India, the European Union and emerging powers, and possible reforms in global governance mechanisms.
Economic sessions covered economic security, fair trade, the political economy of BRICS and the Global South, Korea-India economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific era, ASEAN political economy, and economic cooperation involving Russia and the DPRK.
The
programme further included discussions on the Korean community and diaspora,
Korean diaspora literature, Indian diaspora and transnationalism, diasporic
Koreans and their ethnic homeland, and Korean communities in Central Asia.
Cultural and intellectual sessions addressed Rabindranath Tagore, Indian
philosophy, culture and civilisation, K-Culture, K-Philosophy, migration and
South-South cooperation, and the Gandhi-Nehru political philosophy framework.
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