Gautam Bambawale

Gautam Bambawale

Ex Consulate General of India in Guangzhou Mr. Gautam Bambawale (middle)
in the program. (lifeofguangzhou photo)

He is  the head of the foreign ministry’s East Asia division. Presently , he is on a visit to North Korea.After two days of meeting with his counterpart, he is returning to Delhi today(06-04-2013) as per home ministry sources, the visit is said to be scheduled “well in advance” with the purpose of discussing bilateral relations as well as the situation in the East Asia region, including the Korean peninsula.But, seeing the escalating situation in the peninsula, talks will definitely focus on deescalating tension in the peninsula.

India  has played a role in the Korean peninsula . After the War. it provided medical assistance on humanitarian grounds instead of sending its armed force to South Korea under the UN command . It had sent troops to Korea to form the Custodian Force (India), which functioned under the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission headed by Major General (later General) KS Thimayya, DSO in 1953-54. This was a delicate task, involving the repatriation of Prisoners of War .