Indian professionals to get easy short-term visas from Korea

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) With the signing of a
comprehensive India-South Korea free trade agreement, Indian
professionals from 160 sectors such as IT and engineering
would now be able to get easy short-term Korean visas.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
was signed between India and South Korea on August 7 and it
not only covers trade in goods but also encompasses free flow
of services and investment between the countries.

The services, which contribute around 55 per cent of
India's GDP, are of key interest to the country and needed a
push which the CEPA would provide.

"Korea has agreed to provide short-term visas to
contractual service suppliers and independent professionals,"
a senior Commerce Ministry of India official said.

Industry body Ficci also said that the pact would
facilitate market access for Indian services providers and
professionals.

"We are expecting that not only IT sector but also
engineering, finance and legal services will be benefited in
the Korean market," Ficci Secretary General Amit Mitra said.

Korea's total import of services was worth USD 90
billion in 2008. "If we can manage to capture 8 to 10 per cent
of that, it will give a boost to the services industry,"
Mitra said.

In 2007-08, India exported USD 2.85 billion worth of
goods to South Korea, posting a rise of 13.5 per cent over the
previous year. PTI RK
DDC
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