【New Delhi, I】[Interview] Lee Kwang-il, Chairman of the Korean Association in Delhi, India: “Opportunities for Korean Companies Exist Despite US-India Trade Friction”

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Editor’s Note

This interview highlights the cascading effects of U.S. trade policy, as experienced by Korean businesses operating in India. It underscores how tariffs aimed at one nation can significantly impact third-country supply chains and exporters.

지난 6월 24일 델리 구르가온의 크라운 플라자호텔에서 열린 인도 한인 70년사 출판기념회
Impact of US Tariffs on Korean Businesses in India

Lee Kwang-il, Chairman of the Korean Association in Delhi, India, with 25 years of experience in the country, discussed the impact of recent US tariff policies in an interview with World Korean News. He stated that due to the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs, some goods exported from India to the US now face tariffs of up to 50%, including the existing 25% ‘recipient tariff’.

“The competitiveness of companies exporting apparel, jewelry, leather goods, chemicals, steel, aluminum products, and daily necessities from India to the US has significantly weakened,”

he explained.
He noted that Korean companies in India with a high proportion of exports to the US are expected to face difficulties. He suggested they may need to strengthen their domestic market-focused operations in India, pioneer future-oriented industries like EV parts, consider relocating production bases from India to other countries to reduce cost burdens, or find alternative markets to replace the US.

Crisis and Opportunity Coexist

Lee pointed out that the representative products manufactured by Korean companies in India are automotive parts, electronics, and steel.

이광일 회장(맨 왼쪽)이 지난 5월 베트남 하노이에서 열린 세한총연 워크숍에 참석했다.
이광일 회장(맨 왼쪽)이 지난 5월 베트남 하노이에서 열린 세한총연 워크숍에 참석했다.
“As most Korean companies have a high proportion of local production, they may not suffer major damage. Instead, if the US tariff increase leads to strengthened subsidy policies and export incentives from the Indian government, new opportunities could arise,”

he conveyed, emphasizing the coexistence of crisis and opportunity.

The Korean Community in India and 70 Years of History

Approximately 12,000 Korean expatriates reside in India. The Korean community in India published ’70 Years of Koreans in India’ in February, marking the 70th anniversary of Korean settlement in the country.

“Last year marked the 70th anniversary of Korean settlement in India. India played a humanitarian role as a neutral country during the Korean War in 1950, supporting the armistice agreement and dispatching medical teams. The Korean community began when anti-communist prisoners of war who chose a third country after the 1954 Korean War settled in India,”

Lee explained.
He added that Korea’s economic growth and India’s economic opening policies since 1991 aligned, leading to the full-scale entry of Korean companies like Hyundai, Samsung, and LG into India, which in turn grew the expatriate community.

Future Direction: High-Tech Cooperation and Strategic Partnership
민주평통 양주시협의회와 민주평통 서남아협의회가 2024년 7월 청소년 통일캠프를 열었다.
민주평통 양주시협의회와 민주평통 서남아협의회가 2024년 7월 청소년 통일캠프를 열었다.

Lee emphasized the future direction of bilateral relations.

“Moving forward, the two countries should expand cooperation centered on high-tech industries like semiconductors, eco-friendly energy, and AI/digital technology, and increase trade volume through the Korea-India CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement). They should grow into global partners through multifaceted economic and technological cooperation,”

he stressed.

“Future Korea-India relations should develop into a strategic partnership led by high-tech cooperation and human exchange. Accordingly, our Korean Association plans to focus on supporting expatriates to settle and grow stably locally while nurturing the next generation of talent entering India,”

he added.

Initiatives of the Delhi Korean Association and the South West Asia Council

As the 13th chairman of the Delhi Korean Association, Lee is working to provide various platforms for exchange and harmony between expatriates and locals. He also served as chairman of the 21st South West Asia Council of the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC), which included six countries.
He highlighted three memorable activities during his NUAC tenure: participating in a ‘Peace Conference’ in Hanoi with other Asia-Pacific councils, co-hosting a ‘Youth Unification Camp’ with the Yangju City Council to enhance youth identity, and organizing a ‘Korea-India Peace Forum’ last month.

지난 8월 27일 인도 구르가온에서 ‘한-인도 평화통일 포럼’이 열렸다.
지난 8월 27일 인도 구르가온에서 ‘한-인도 평화통일 포럼’이 열렸다.
“It was the first forum held by the South West Asia Council. It was significant that both local Indians and expatriates showed deep interest in the importance of peace on the Korean Peninsula and Korea-India cooperation, and formed a consensus that peace on the Korean Peninsula could lead to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,”

he said.

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⏰ Published on: October 08, 2025