Does South Korea Exercise Middle-Power Diplomacy Toward Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan?

European Journal of Korean Studies. 2022. Vol. 22. No. 1. P. 71–94.

Варпаховскис Э.

It is widely accepted that South Korea has obtained middle-power status because
it has fulfilled the necessary behavioral principles in its diplomacy. Even though
the Republic of Korea is an active player in Central Asia, the topic of relationships
between South Korea and Central Asian republics has barely been explored.
Using case studies, the author attempts to evaluate how much South Korea’s
policy matches its middle-power status in relationships with two major partners
in the region—Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The author concludes that South
Korea’s policy toward the two Central Asian partners only partly matches
middle-power behavior criteria. The article discusses the practical obstacles to
South Korea’s middle-power diplomacy toward Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and
elaborates on the shortcomings of the middle-power concept as an analytical
framework.

Ключевые слова: политика Кореи, middle power, средняя сила, Korea-Central Asian cooperation