By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar and his delegation visited Miryang city in South Gyeongsang Province on Aug. 4 to promote exchanges between Korea and India, the Miryang City said.

Imsennaro Walling, Director of the Indian Cultural Center in Korea, also accompanied the visit and discussed broad-ranging cultural exchanges.

At a luncheon meeting held at Oyeonjeong in Gyodong, the two sides discussed various Korea-India exchange initiatives, including co-hosting a yoga event between Miryang City and the Embassy of India in Korea; promoting cultural, tourism, and wellness exchanges through regular visits by Indian traditional culture delegations to Miryang; developing wellness tourism products linking Miryang City and Indian traditional culture; and promoting agricultural exchanges between Korea and India.

The Indian Ambassador and his delegation visited "Yoga Culture Town" within Sunshine Miryang Theme Park and showed keen interest in how the yoga program, which combines yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda with traditional Indian health practices, was operated.

Since 2016, Miryang has maintained a steady exchange with India through various Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and reciprocal visits.

The city expects the ambassador's visit to further expand cultural understanding and content exchange between the two countries through yoga. The city plans to use this opportunity to accelerate its growth as a hub for wellness tourism, bridging tradition and modernity.

Miryang City Mayor Ahn Byung-gu stated, "I hope the long-standing cultural exchange between Miryang and India will continue to expand in various fields." He added, "We will create 'Miryang, the City of Yoga,' where citizens and tourists can enjoy a healthy wellness culture centered around yoga."