First Indo-Korean park inaugurated at Delhi Cantonment

India’s First Indo-Korean Friendship Park was jointly inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of National Defence, Republic of Korea Suh Wook at Delhi Cantonment on March 26, 2021.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by a delegation from the Republic of Korea including the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India. The Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General M M Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria also attended the ceremony along with members of the Korean War Veterans Association of India.

Significance

The Indo-Korean park has been built to commemorate the contribution of the Indian peacekeeping force during the Korean war of 1950-53. 

Indo-Korean Bilateral Friendship Park inaugurated by Honourable Raksha Mantri Shri @Rajnathsingh & South Korea's Minister of National Defence Mr Suh Wook at Delhi Cantt. The park commemorates contribution of Indian peacekeepers during Korean war.@moonriver365@MOFAkr_eng pic.twitter.com/UzQpCWcOac

— Western Command - Indian Army (@westerncomd_IA) March 26, 2021

Key Highlights

•The Indo-Korean park is a symbol of strong India-South Korea friendly relations. It is also a monument to India’s contributions as part of 21 countries that had participated in the Korean war 1950-53, under the aegis of the United Nations.

•The park was developed in joint consultation with the Indian Army, Union Defence Ministry, Government of India, Delhi Cantonment Board, Embassy of Korea and Korean War Veterans Association of India.

•The park is spread across six acres of green area and includes a Korean-style entrance gate. 

•It also includes a jogging track, an amphitheater and a well-landscaped garden and has an imposing handshake artifact at the entrance of the park bearing flags of India and South Korea.

•The park also has a larger-than-life statue of General KS Thimayya, who was the Indian soldier who had led the Indian contingent as Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission Chairman.

•The commission was responsible for gathering unrepatriated prisoners of war into camps through Custodian Force of India (CFI). This was India's first commitment to a UN assignment after independence. 

•Five pillars are located in the backdrop of General KS Thimayya's life-like statue. The pillars are embossed with details of operations carried out by 60 Parachute Field Ambulance during the Korean war.

•One of the pillars depicts Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s narration of Korea as “The Lamp of the East” which was published in the Korean daily “Dong-A-llbo” in 1929.

Background

The South Korean Defence Minister had arrived in India on March 25, 2021 for a three-day visit. The visit mainly focussed on boosting bilateral defence and military cooperation between the two countries. South Korea has been a major weapons and military equipment supplier to India.

Source: PIB