Kazakhstan–South Korea relations are the international relations between Kazakhstan and the South Korea.

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Kazakhstan–South Korea relations

Kazakhstan	South Korea

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Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on January 28, 1992, shortly after Kazakhstan's independence.^[1] Bilateral relations have grown steadily since that time. Cooperation between the two nations has grown in political, economic, and educational spheres. The presence of 100,000 ethnic Koreans living in Kazakhstan (known as Koryo-saram) creates an additional link between the two countries.^[2]

Since independence, South Korea and Kazakhstan have witnessed deepening economics ties, as Kazakhstan has become South Korea's most important trading partner in Central Asia.^[7] Korean business have invested more than $7 billion in Kazakhstan, and South Korean investors have assets in more than 500 companies in Kazakhstan.^[8] In 2008, Kookmin Bank, one of South Korea's largest banks, purchased a 30% stake in Kazakhstan's CenterCredit Bank for about $634 million.^[9]

South Korea's major exports to Kazakhstan include automobiles, televisions, and other electronics. Kazakh exports primarily raw materials, including copper and zinc, to South Korea.^[1]

Korean companies are also involved in Kazakhstan's oil industry. The Korean Consortium of the Caspian Oil Project, which is led by the Korea National Oil Company and includes SK Corporation, LG International, Samsung, and Daesung Industrial, is involved in the development of the Zhambyl oil field, located in the Caspian Sea. Under the agreement, the consortium will own 27% of drilling rights, with the option to purchase up to 50% of the rights, depending on what is found after further exploration. The field is estimated to hold 1 billion barrels of crude oil.^[10][11]

In May 2009 the two countries signed an agreement for Korean investments in Kazakhstan's energy and technology sectors totaling over $5 billion. The agreement includes a $2.5 billion investment by South Korean companies in a new power plant in southern Kazakhstan. The two companies, Korea Electric Power Corporation and Samsung C&T will own 65% of the plant, which is scheduled for completion by 2014.^[5]

South Korean President Park Geun-hye expressed support for the economic development Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy on a 2014 visit to Kazakhstan.^[6]

As of 2020, Kazakhstan is South Korea's second largest partner in emerging Europe and Central Asia, with trade reaching $5.9 billion. South Korea imported $1 billion worth of goods and resources from Kazakhstan, and South Korean investment in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan exceeded $7 billion.^[2]

In November 2020, the South Korean embassy in Astana organized a webinar looking at Kazakhstan's approach to voluntary disposing of the 1410 warheads it inherited from the Soviet Union. The two countries also had productive talks during the 13th Central Asia-South Korea Cooperation Forum in Seoul, in which they discussed the consequences and opportunities for economic cooperation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the removal of remaining barriers to trade and improving product quality and competitiveness.^[2]

In 2005 the Association for Kazakhstan Studies in Korea (AKSK) was founded in response to South Korean president Roh's visit to Kazakhstan. The association aims to improve bilateral relations between the two countries as well as improve academic study of the different ethnicities in Kazakhstan.^[12]

The oldest Korean-language newspaper outside of the Korean peninsula, Koryo Ilbo, celebrated its 100th anniversary with events both in Kazakhstan and in South Korea.

The Korean Theatre of Kazakhstan, an ethnic theatre for Koryo-saram in Almaty, has served as a cultural link for South Korea and Kazakhstan. The theatre has been visited by prominent South Korean politicians,^[13] and in 2023 it served as a venue for a joint South Korean-Kazakh play during a cultural exchange year.^[14]

• (embassy since 1992–1996)

1. Kim Chang Geun 김창근 1993.11
2. Lee Young Min 이영민 1996.10
3. Choi Seung Ho 최승호 1999.11
4. Tae Suk Won 태석원 2002.08
5. Kim Il Soo 김일수 2005.09
6. Lee Byung Hwa 이병화 2009.03
7. Baek Joo Hyun 백주현 2012.04
8. Cho Young Cheon 조용천 2015.10
9. Kim Dae Sik 김대식 2017.04
10. Goo Hung Suk 구홍석 2020.07^[15]