Devitt Khuallalmuan Ngaihte, Imphal, Manipur

Amongst the numerous countries that shapes the world, South Korea, also called Republic Of Korea: A highly well developed country situated in the eastern part of the Asian continent, constituting the Southern part of the Korean peninsula has grabbed my interest by inspiring me with its fast economic growth along with its scenic beauty, latest technologies and modern lifestyles it offers, it has become my dream destination. My interest in South Korea began six years ago, when I first discovered the famous Korean folk song “Arirang” through YouTube. I felt that this song had the strength to unite the Korean people with every community of the world and it has been my favorite Korean folk song.

South Korea is a land filled with wonders. It has many mind blowing things to offer, from the tourism of various fields to the clean and clear environment it offers. The way this country focuses mainly on embracing its own culture, language and food habits along with its modern lifestyles motivates me towards saving our own age old cultures and traditions. Koreans have a lot of respect for their elders and it is beautifully shown in their dramas. And it is indeed very true that K-dramas merge all aspects of K-culture.

From a small and poor country, South Korea has now become the 6^th largest exporter of goods earning immense finance which is of a great importance in the shaping of a country. Their immediate walk towards success and development merging from a poor country, reflects on how much optimistic the country’s citizens are. The per capita GDP of South Korea is almost 16.5 times that of India. Korean genres of dramas ( known as K-dramas), movies (known as K-movies) and the worldwide famous K-Pop add as the country’s jewels. These genres are collectively termed as Hallyu and the spread of Hallyu all across the world is popularly known as the Korean/Hallyu Wave. A famous K-Pop music group, BTS offers $ 4.65 billion every year which is as substantial as the major companies like Samsung and Hyundai. The hard work BTS, the seven member boy group puts to make their country shine in the world spotlight inspires me in a way to do some work for my own country in every way I can whether it is big or small.

Some of the Korean celebrities are strong advocates of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Human Rights endorsed by the United Nations. BTS has also appeared in Times as 100 most influential and Next Generation Leaders. South Korea also remained as the world’s most innovative country in the Bloomberg Innovation Index for the sixth consecutive year in 2019. Also, the country puts so much effort to ensure foreign investment as the lead priority. The ‘I Seoul You’ project launched by the tourism department of South Korea with BTS as their cultural ambassador has put the said move to sky rocket pass their expectations catching many foreign attentions.

Apart from the points mentioned above, the food habits with the friendly nature of the citizens adopt a high chance of safety to visit the country. Korean cuisine is very interesting and getting more popular in India and the world.  Korean cuisine is a mixture of healthy vegetables, meats and spices which are appealing to our appetite as well as it is healthy for us. The refreshing cuisine with the clean and fresh environment that warms many hearts truly is a beauty to behold. The K-beauty products also never fail to impress its consumers to get a taste of it.

South Korea government always tries its best to make the world impressed with its impressive acts ranging from tourism, science and technology, sports, education, eco-friendly approach and the hard work of the country’s people. South Korea being a small country, it puts its best efforts to display their culture and heritage to the world without altering it.

The Indian and Korean relationship dates way back from the times, when an Indian princess of Ayodhya married the King of Gaya, South Korea. The relation between these two countries has also deepened, so it is of great importance to save this friendly relation to maintain peace and harmony. Korea never fails to inspire me in every step and my desire to experience and explore this beautiful country will stay in my heart.