President Moon Jae-in cherished the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi as he hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a state guest. 

Moon and Modi attended a ceremony at Yonsei University in Seoul on Thursday to unveil a bust of the Indian activist revered in India as the "Father of the Nation."

Moon said Gandhi’s teachings will remain forever in the hearts of South Koreans, and expressed hope his spirit will materialize into peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and the entire Asian region. 

He said Gandhi’s greatness is that he took the path to peace on the side of truth without succumbing to any violence or threats, noting his belief in people’s power unified the Indian public and enabled India’s independence and freedom. 

The ceremony was the first official event of Modi’s two-day state visit to South Korea that began in the day. 

The Indian government donated the bust to the South Korean university as part of a project to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Gandhi's birth.