Korea is about to meet a Central Asia it thinks it knows

In a few weeks, the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will convene in Seoul for the Korea-Central Asia Summit, hosted by South Korea. My primary concern is that the summit might merely generate more bilateral agreements, photographs, and carefully crafted declarations, rather than fostering a genuine partnership.

Korea's interest in Central Asia is not a recent development. Korean companies have been exploring energy projects, construction contracts, transport infrastructure, and access to critical minerals in the region for decades.

The region also houses a significant ethnic Korean population, contributing to a human and historical aspect of the relations that few other countries can claim. However, Seoul's strategic vision for Central Asia remains confined. Policymakers and think tanks in South Korea often view Central Asia as a collection of individual opportunities: uranium and lithium in Kazakhstan, gas in Turkmenistan, infrastructure in Uzbekistan, hydropower in Tajikistan, and development in Turkmenistan.

Despite this, the countries of Central Asia are now beginning to learn how to think and act collectively. Yet, Seoul's strategic vision for the region remains limited.