File photo of Mahatma Gandhi
The first ever bust of Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of non-violence, has been inaugurated in the South Korean metropolis of Busan.
On Monday, city's newly-elected mayor Byeong-soo Suh dedicated the memorial to the nation in the presence of India's ambassador to South Korea Vishnu Prakash and Director General of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) Satish Mehta.
Mayor Suh noted "the long and steadily deepening relationship between India and Korea and hoped that Mahatma Gandhi's message of peace and brotherhood would inspire every Korean," a press release issued by the Embassy of India in Seoul said.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Prakash "expressed happiness at the briskly expanding people-to-people ties between India and Busan, Korea's cultural capital."
Crafted by renowned sculptor Gautam Pal, the bronze statue was donated by the ICCR.
The ceremony was followed by Manipuri dance recital to mark the formal beginning of Indian Cultural Centre in Busan.
Earlier this year, India presented a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree to President Park Geun-hye as a symbol of friendship and goodwill for the people of Korea.