Searching for middle power diplomacy. South Korea’s approach toward Kyrgyzstan

Постсоветские исследования. 2019. Vol. 2. No. 7. P. 1511–1520.

Varpahovskis E.

This study examines the relationship between Kyrgyzstan and South Korea from the perspective of middle power diplomacy. This study has a dual goal: first, to fill in the gap in the study of the development of Kyrgyz-Korean relations which are rarely explored, even though South Korea considers Central Asia as a strategically important region in its foreign affairs; secondly, to analyze South Korea’s foreign affairs in terms of following principles of middle power behavior, which is pronounced as one of the major concepts for foreign policies. This study examines the implementation of seven major middle power features by South Korea in relationships with Kyrgyzstan. The author concludes that South Korea gradually developed its middle power approach towards Kyrgyzstan, and it blossomed during Lee Myun-bak and Park Geun-hye’s terms in office. However, even though middle power is considered a cornerstone concept of South Korea’s foreign affairs, in its relations with Kyrgyzstan South Korea cannot fully implement it. While South Korea efficiently conducts niche diplomacy, contributes to multilateral relations of Kyrgyzstan with other Central Asian republics, South Korea has an almost intangible impact on trilateral relations between two great powers (China and Russia) and Kyrgyzstan. The author highlights that Moon’s administration inherited from Park’s administration its approach towards Kyrgyzstan and made some progress in the elaboration of its ties with Kyrgyzstan, however, it should not be expected that South Korea will make breakthrough progress to meet missing middle power features in its policies towards Kyrgyzstan.

Keywords: Кыргызстан, Центральная Азия, Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Южная Корея, South Korea, middle power, средняя сила, Kyrgyz-Korean relations, KOICA, Korea-Central Asian cooperation, Корейско-кыргызские отношения, КОИКА, Корейско-центральноазиатское сотрудничество