External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar used his keynote at the Jeju Forum 2026 to argue that India and South Korea must deepen cooperation across sectors “from ships to chips,” stressing that complementarities between the two nations can help stabilise a fragmented global order. He outlined a five‑point framework for reinventing cooperation, linking it directly to the India–South Korea partnership.

Jaishankar began by acknowledging that fragmentation in the international system is now a permanent reality. He argued that while fragmentation poses challenges, it also reduces dominance by a few powers and creates space for greater democratisation.

He noted that the world today is defined by deep economic integration and interdependence, with supply chains and resources forming the backbone of global interaction.

He emphasised that technology has become a powerful integrating force across borders, with artificial intelligence accelerating these trends due to the inherently transnational nature of data capture and model deployment. At the same time, he warned that pandemics, terrorism, and climate disasters demonstrate the need for collective action, as such challenges cannot be contained within national boundaries.

Invoking India’s civilisational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is a family — Jaishankar stressed that cooperation is essential. He cautioned that commerce is increasingly influenced by strategic calculations, spilling into connectivity and infrastructure projects, and warned against practices that deny developing countries the right to industrialise by manipulating competitiveness and restricting market access.

He described the current global landscape as one of “weaponisation of everything,” where risk‑taking is higher and politics is shaped by the social media era. He criticised the prioritisation of the interests of a few nations at the expense of many, insisting that this imbalance must be countered by broader cooperation.

Jaishankar then outlined five steps to reinvent cooperation in a fragmented world. These include de‑risking the international economy and diversifying supply chains, forging new understandings among influential nations, protecting international law and regimes such as UNCLOS, empowering the Global South with greater opportunities, and advancing reformed multilateralism. He questioned whether multipolarity will truly deliver for the many, not just the few.

Linking these ideas to India–South Korea relations, he said the two countries have complementarities across multiple fields, from shipbuilding to semiconductors, as well as in health, infrastructure, and defence. He stressed that these complementarities are waiting to be fully exploited.

He highlighted that the value of economic and technology partnerships, political and strategic cooperation, and closer people‑to‑people ties had been the focus of his bilateral meetings in Seoul a day earlier.

Jaishankar’s remarks also reflected India’s broader foreign policy approach of positioning itself as a rule‑shaper rather than a rule‑taker. He underscored that empowering the Global South is essential to create new avenues of growth and to counter the dominance of a few nations. His speech at Jeju was part of a wider diplomatic tour, following his visit to Mongolia, and underscored India’s active engagement in shaping the future of international cooperation.

By situating India–South Korea ties within the larger framework of reinventing cooperation in a fragmented world, Jaishankar made clear that the partnership is not only bilateral but also strategic in its implications for global supply chains, resilience, and democratisation of technology and commerce.

ANI