Consulate General of South Korea, Chennai

Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, Chennai
주 첸나이 대한민국 총영사관
தென் கொரியத் துணைதூதரகம், சென்னை
Emblem of South Korea
Incumbent
Chang-nyun Kim
since 2023
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
StyleConsul General
Inaugural holderKyungsoo Kim
Formation7 February 2014
WebsiteOfficial website

The Consulate General of South Korea in Chennai is one of the missions of South Korea in India focusing on Korean interests in the region. It is located in Chennai and its jurisdiction includes the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry. The other South Korean missions in the India is the Embassy of the Republic of Korea at New Delhi and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Mumbai, in addition to an honorary consulate office in Kolkata.[1] The fourth and current consul general of the Chennai Consulate is Chang-nyun Kim. He was preceded by Kwon Young Seup, the third consul general of the Chennai Consulate.

Location

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The office of the Consulate General of South Korea at fifth floor of Bannari Amman Towers located at 29 Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore.

History

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Soon after the economic liberalization by the Indian government in the 1990s, several Korean companies started setting up their bases in and around Chennai, chiefly in the automotive and electronic sectors. Since then, South Korea has had one of the largest foreign presences in the region.[2] By 2014, there were about 4,000 Koreans staying in and around the city and there were large firms including Hyundai Motors, Samsung Electronics, Lotte India and Doosan Heavy Industries, among others, functioning in the region, in addition to about 150 small and medium enterprises run by Koreans.[3] These employ 300,000 Indian citizens and create 1.5 million jobs indirectly.[2] There was an honorary consulate of South Korea functioning at 12 Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam before the establishment of the Consulate General. However, the growing Korean population in the region demanded a full-fledged office in South India. The Consulate General was inaugurated on 7 February 2014 by the then Governor of Tamil Nadu, Konijeti Rosaiah.[3] Commencement of visa processing services by the Consulate would begin on 17 February 2014, when visa applications from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry states would be processed directly at the consulate.[4]

In September 2023, the Consulate General opened its new visa application center in the city.[5]

List of Consuls General

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Heads of the South Korean mission to Chennai
No. Names Tenure started Tenure ended Ref
Consuls General
1 Kyungsoo Kim 7 February 2014 2017
2 Kim Hyung Tae 2017 2020
3 Kwon Young Seup 2020 2023
4 Chang-nyun Kim 2023 Present [6]

Other activities

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In 2022, the Consulate organized India's first Korean Fair, a 4-day exhibition promoting Korean culture and consumer goods, in Chennai. The fair was held in Express Avenue Mall from November 17 to November 20, with 20 exhibitors from Korea.[7][8] The Consulate has also arranged chartered flights for Korean nationals to visit India during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Korea-ROK". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of India. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. ^ a b Shivakumar, C. (27 September 2022). "Tamil Nadu woos South Korean businesses to invest in state". The New Indian Express. Chennai: Express Publications. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b Anand, N. (7 February 2014). "Governor inaugurates Korean Consulate". The Hindu. Chennai: The Hindu. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Korea's Consulate General Opened in Chennai". The New Indian Express. Chennai: Express Publications. 8 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  5. ^ Yamini, C. S. "Korea Visa Application Centres Start Operations in Chennai and Bengaluru". The Hindustan Times. Chennai: Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Korea Consul-General hopes to increase investment in Sri City". The Hindu. Tirupati: Kasturi & Sons. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  7. ^ Singh, Garima (19 November 2022). "Chennai hosts India's first ever Korean Fair". Times Now. Chennai: Times Now. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Chennai's first ever Korea Fair begins". ANI. Chennai: ANI News. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  9. ^ "1,000th South Korean business traveler arrives in Chennai". The New Indian Express. Chennai: Express Publications. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
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