South Korea 'regrets offense' after Hyundai Pakistan's Kashmir post
The government of South Korea on Tuesday said it "regretted the offence caused to the people of India" with regards to the controversy over Hyundai's social media posts. Pakistan-based social media accounts linked to the Korean company had posted a message last week voicing support for separatists in Kashmir. The Indian government has also issued a statement on the row.
Why does this story matter?
The statement comes after posts by Hyundai Pakistan led to outrage among Indians. The posts were made on February 5, which is observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day in Pakistan and meant to show the country's support for the separatist movement in Kashmir. "Let us remember the sacrifice of our Kashmiri brothers and stand in support as they continue to struggle for freedom," they said.
South Korea's Foreign Minister dialed Jaishankar
On Tuesday, South Korea's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong called up his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to convey regret, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "While they discussed several issues, the South Korean Foreign Minister also conveyed that they regretted the offence caused to the people and Government of India by the social media post," the statement read.
'Matter of India's territorial integrity'
Earlier, the Indian government had summoned the South Korean envoy and expressed "strong displeasure" over Hyundai Pakistan posts. "It was highlighted that this matter concerned India's territorial integrity on which there could be no compromise," the MEA's statement said. "India welcomes investments by foreign companies in various sectors. But, it is also expected that such companies...will refrain from false and misleading comments."
'Deep regret': Hyundai issues statement
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Company has issued a statement, saying it does not comment on political or religious issues in any region as a business policy. "Therefore, it is clearly against Hyundai Motor's policy that the independently-owned distributor in Pakistan made unauthorised Kashmir-related social media posts from their own accounts (sic)," the company said in the statement.
Hyundai's expanding India market
Hyundai is the second-largest car manufacturer in India after Maruti Suzuki, and is counted among the top car exporters from the country. Last year, the company sold more than five lakh units in India, registering an annual sale surge of over 19%. In December, it announced plans to invest around Rs. 4,000 crore in India for the production of six electric vehicles by 2028.
