Relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea
Kazakhstan and South Korea established diplomatic relations on January 28th, 1992, follow by the opening the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1993 and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Korea in 1996.
Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Korea:
H.E. Mr. Bakhyt Dyusenbayev, since April, 2018.
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Kazakhstan:
H.E. Mr. Koo Hong-seok, since May, 2020.
Political cooperation
Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea have achieved an expanded strategic partnership and at the stage of its active development.
The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the Republic of Korea five times.
The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E.Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid the state visit to the Republic of Korea on August 16-17, 2021.
The Presidents of the Republic of Korea visited the Republic of Kazakhstan six times.
In January 2022, the Heads of the two countries exchanged congratulatory letters on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea.
Bilateral Friendship and Cooperation Groups have been functioning between the Parliaments of the two countries.
Trade and economic cooperation
In 2022, the bilateral trade turnover amounted to 6,1 billion dollars (it is 3.4 times more than the previous year), particularly export of Kazakhstan to Korea amounted to 4,5 billion dollars and Korean import to Kazakhstan amounted to 1.6 billion dollars.
The main items of Kazakhstan's exports are: uranium, ferro-alloys, non-alloy rolled steel and iron, gold, copper.
The main items of Kazakhstan's imports are: electronics, equipment and production of mechanical engineering, car bodies (including cabs) for vehicles, automobiles and other vehicles.
The Republic of Korea is one of the leading foreign investors into the Kazakh economy. Thus, from 2005 the inflow of Korean investments into Kazakhstan has amounted to more than 8.1 billion US dollars. In 9 month of 2022 Korean gross direct investments reached 1.1 billion dollars.
As of February 2023, more than 700 legal entities, branches and representative offices with South Korean participation operate in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
An important mechanism of bilateral trade and economic cooperation is the Kazakhstan-Korea Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. So far, nine meetings of Commission have been held (the last one - November 17, 2020).
The commission is co-chaired by the Kazakhstani side - Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development Mr. M.Karabayev, from the South Korean side - by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Mr. Lee Chang-yang.
There is also a Business Council, which is co-chaired from the Kazakh side by the Managing Director - Head of the Asset Management Directorate of Samruk-Kazyna NWF JSC Mr. A.Satkaliev, from the South Korean side - by the President of «Kolon Investments Corporation» Mr. Shin San Ho (10 th meeting - Nur-Sultan, July 2017).
Multilateral cooperation
Kazakhstan participates in the «Central Asia - Republic of Korea» Forum. The Secretariat of the Forum was established in 2016. The 15th meeting of the Forum was held on October 25, 2022 in Busan at the foreign ministers level.
Kazakhstan and South Korea actively cooperate in such international organizations as UN, WTO, IAEA, CICA etc.
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation
Since 2006, the Department of Kazakh Studies has been operating at Gangnam University (Yongin), and the Kazakh language is taught at the Department of Central Asian Studies of the Hanguk University of Foreign Studies.
On August 17, 2021, the monument of A.Kunanbaiuly was unveiled in Seoul within the framework of the state visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
H.E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Republic of Korea.
2022 is announced as year of cultural exchange between Kazakhstan and Korea.
On June 23-26, 2022, the tour of the State Academic Korean Musical Comedy Theater took place in the Republic of Korea.
On June 30, 2022, the Land of Hope exhibition dedicated to the history of the resettlement of the Koreans of Kazakhstan opened in Seoul.
On October 19, 2022, a solo concert by Kazakh violinist Aiman Musakhodzhayeva took place in Daegu.