Abstract

As part of its past “Look East” and now “Act East” policies, India seeks to increase the radius of its influence beyond South Asia by broadening relations with East Asian actors, including South Korea. New Delhi and Seoul continue to promote economic cooperation and explore ways to deepen their strategic partnership. However, for relations to grow substantively and enduringly, both will have to show greater concern, creativity, and caution —especially bearing in mind their mutual neighbor, China. This article explores how, through harnessing its unique longstanding relations with both Koreas and investing in non ‐realist approaches resonant of people ‐centered engagement, India as a middle power with major power aspirations can lay its footprint softly in Northeast Asia by playing a more pro ‐active role to bolster and sustain inter ‐Korean rapprochement and peacebuilding efforts.