Korea’s Para-diplomacy with States in India: An Analysis of the ‘Caravan Events’

Ranjit Kumar Dhawan

Dr Ranjit Kumar Dhawan is Assistant Professor (ad-hoc) of Korean Studies in the Department of East Asian Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, at the University of Delhi, India. read more

In the arena of international relations nation-states have been regarded as the primary actors. However, the constituent units of nation-states have also become active in forging relations with the political units which are located outside the national borders through ‘para-diplomacy’. Since the 1990s the states of Indian union have been playing a significant role in India’s foreign affairs. The Narendra Modi government in New Delhi has also established a ‘States Division’ in the Ministry of External Affairs. In this regard, the Republic of Korea has initiated ‘Caravan events’ to engage with the states in India. This article aims to examine and explain Korea’s para-diplomacy with states in India.