All-party delegation seeks South Korea's support in bringing perpetrators, financiers and supporters of terrorism to justice

Seoul, May 26 (PTI) An all-party parliamentary delegation on Monday briefed South Korean leaders on India's renewed doctrine of responding firmly to any act of terrorism as it sought Seoul's support in bringing to justice the organisers, perpetrators, financiers and supporters of terrorism.

The delegation is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan's designs and India’s response to terror.

The delegation, led by JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met Sung Il-jong, Chairperson of the National Defence Committee of the National Assembly of South Korea, and apprised him that the terrorist attack in Pahalgam was not an accident, rather "intentional acts to disrupt communal harmony" in India.

They conveyed India’s national resolve on zero-tolerance policy in combatting terrorism.

The delegation "sought RoK's support in holding organisers, perpetrators, financiers and supporters of terrorism to account and bringing them to justice," the Embassy of India in South Korea said in a post on X.

Sung acknowledged the purpose of the nine-member delegation's visit as a mission of peace and acknowledged India’s restrained response. "He appreciated the detailed explanation provided by the delegation and further emphasised that any act of terrorism is a crime against humanity and can not be condoned," it added.

The delegation also met 1st Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun and apprised him about the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the measured, calibrated, and non-escalatory response made by India. "They conveyed India's renewed doctrine of responding firmly for any act of terrorism," the Indian mission said.

"Kim condemned the terrorist attack and expressed understanding of India's position. He further conveyed that Special Strategic Partnership offers a good platform for further cooperation and joint efforts along with the international community in combating terrorism," it added.

The delegation also met Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who dropped briefly during their meeting with Kim.

"They reiterated India's firm resolve to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations and our zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. FM Cho reaffirmed RoK's strong stance against terrorism and extended support to India's fight against this menace. He also referred to his telephonic conversation with EAM @DrSJaishankar earlier this month," the Embassy of India said in another post on X.

The delegation also interacted with senior representatives of leading think tanks, corporate policy groups and India Studies Centres in South Korea. The delegation apprised them about the heinous terrorist attack in Pehalgam and the subsequent precise, measured, responsible, and non-escalatory response made by India.

They further reiterated India's firm zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and made no distinction between terrorists and the country supporting them, the Indian mission said.

The delegation also highlighted India's 'No First Use Policy' and rejection of any nuclear blackmail.

"They conveyed our resolute stance to respond firmly for any act of terrorism. Participating think tanks condemned the terrorist attack and extended their solidarity with as well as understanding of India’s position of zero-tolerance against terrorism. They also discussed ways on how India, RoK and the international community can work together to combat terrorism," the Indian mission said.

The delegation also met Yun Ho-jung, Chairperson of the Korea-India Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Korean National Assembly, and briefed him on Operation Sindoor.

"The delegation reiterated India's firm zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, and the position of making no distinction between terrorist and country supporting terrorists, and sought RoK's support for bringing terrorist organizers, perpetrators, and financiers of terrorism to justice," the Embassy of India added.

Yun "conveyed that any act of terrorism is unacceptable and cannot be justified, and that there should be no sacrifice of innocent lives by terrorism and reaffirmed RoK’s strong stand against terrorism," it added.

Besides Jha, the delegation comprises MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Abhishek Banerjee, Brij Lal, John Brittas, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid and former ambassador of India to France and Bahrain Mohan Kumar.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday warned that the world needs to be very careful and mindful of how Pakistan has been harbouring terrorism.

"Breeding a snake in your backyard and expecting it to bite only your neighbour is the last thing one should think of," he said at a dialogue with think tanks in Seoul.

"Once that snake is unleashed, it will end up biting whoever it can. A snake remains a snake. So we need to be very careful and mindful of how Pakistan has been harbouring terrorism and terrorists from 9/11, 26/11 to Uri, Pahalgam - repeatedly, one after another terror attacks. Osama Bin Laden was found in Abbottabad, a place in Pakistan," he said.

"We want to tell this with all humility and grace that any support extended to Pakistan is a support to terror organisations. Anyone endorsing or defending Pakistan’s actions is, in essence, backing terrorism," he said.

The delegation earlier met former foreign minister Yoon Young-kwan, National Counter-Terrorism Center Director Major Gen Shin Sang-gyun, former Korean Ambassadors to India, Shin Bong-kil and Lee Joon-gyu, and others.

Earlier, the delegation visited Japan and said it was deeply encouraged by Tokyo’s unequivocal support to New Delhi’s war against terror.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. India carried out precision strikes as part of Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7.

It was followed by Pakistan’s attempt to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.

The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10. PTI ZH ZH ZH