Indian civil servants visited Korea last week to benchmark its development experience, starting their tour on a cruise along the Han River for inspiration. 

One-hundred and twenty members of the Indian Administration Service are staying in Korea from June 24-July 4. They are participating in a mid-career training program – the Korea Study Tour -- launched in 2007. 

The 11-day tour comprises morning lectures and afternoon trips that delve into Korea’s material and institutional development, covering administration, governance, e-government, reforms, health care, education, finance, infrastructure, green growth and human resources. 

The participants will visit the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Incheon Bridge, Korea Railroad Corporation, Boramae Medical Center, Korean Eco-friendly Rural Village, Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation and Seongdong Technical High School, among other places. 

The tour was organized by the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management, with members of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) participating. 

At the opening reception on the E-Land Cruise on the Han River on Wednesday, Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami encouraged the officers to reenergize the India-Korea partnership following Prime Minister Modi’s visit in mid-May. 

“When Indians think about Korea, the words discipline, dedication and organization come to mind,” the ambassador said in a speech. “Within our relevant international context, very few countries have such a perfect match as Korea, in terms of our complementary needs and capacities.”

 

LBSNAA deputy director Prem Singh said the program had been both “educational and inspirational.” 

“Korea has been particularly inspirational to us, as you have rapidly developed from poverty,” Singh told The Korea Herald. “As Korea was economically similar in the 1970s and 80s to today’s India, we believe we can also make it happen as an Asian country.”

The IAS officers are tasked with transforming India’s once-planned economy to a market economy, as well as harmonizing economic growth and sustainable development, according to the KDI. Government innovation, responsible policymaking and execution were listed priorities. 

The deputy director said Korea’s lessons could be implemented in India, although the two countries had vastly different sizes and issues. 

“Korea’s government and market are big enough that we can benchmark your expertise and experience,” he pointed out, adding that the participating provincial officers will in future take various posts in federal ministries. 

Singh explained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained a “smooth and liberal” relationship with the bureaucracy, allowing innovation of the elephantine institution. 

“Our Prime Minister interacts with bureaucrats at all levels, from junior to senior positions, and we are very enthused to work with him. Our relationship will bring positive results,” he underscored. 

Modi has also made efforts to include diverse social strata into the economy through his “Make in India” and “Clean India” policies, aimed at cultivating the manufacturing sectors and improving public health. 

Noting India’s democratic system, he added that it was necessary to compromise the competing demands of communities and parties. 

“We are a very heterogeneous society,” Singh said. “India has consciously and rightly chosen a strategy of taking everyone onboard. Taking care of everyone is the bureaucrats’ primary responsibility.”

Regarding the rigid caste social structure, which has bound India for thousands of years, Singh said the wave of economic globalization and liberalization of the early 1990s, along with education, have led to a change of mindset. 

“People don’t go by caste as much as they used to,” he noted. “Fulfilling your dream is more possible nowadays. The caste has given way to the market, where the money is.”

By Joel Lee(joel@heraldcorp.com)