Publication

This paper addresses the implications of the announcement made by South Korea and India in May 2015 that the two countries would upgrade their bilateral ties to a 'Special Strategic Partnership' in order to increase industrial and defense sector ties between them. The author first discusses how Indian Prime Minister Modi's visit to East Asia and the announcement led to optimism among investors in the region about their ability to invest in India. He then discusses the experiences of the South Korean Pohang Steel Company (POSCO) - the world’s fourth largest steel producer - in investing in India, including the opposition it faced from left-wing extremists and local people as well as its problems in dealing with local government, and what it might mean for South Korean investors and policymakers in India in their efforts to realize the goals of the strategic partnership.