New India-South Korea Defense Partnership Facilitates the Displacement of Russian and Chinese Weapons from Global South Markets

From April 19 to 21, 2026, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung paid a state visit to New Delhi for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This marked the first visit by a South Korean leader to India since 2018, when President Moon Jae-in traveled to the country. Following the negotiations, the sides agreed to expand cooperation in economic, trade, investment, technological, and defense-industrial domains. 

They also agreed to extend the joint production model used for K9 Vajra howitzers to the development of air defense systems.