Korea-Central Asia Summit exposes limits of bloc diplomacy

Last Wednesday, Seoul hosted the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit, marking a significant milestone in inter-Korean and Central Asian relations. The summit saw 74 bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) signed, culminating in a unified "Seoul Declaration." This event was unique as it brought together the five Central Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan — for the first time.

The summit drew parallels to the United States' "C5+1" initiative, a diplomatic format last convened in 2025.

This diplomatic gathering signified a new era in relations between Korea and Central Asia, a relationship that dates back to 1992 when Korea recognized the independence of these states from the Soviet Union. Since then, Korea has consistently been a source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region. By the end of last year, South Korea's FDI contribution amounted to $6.4 billion.

The summit was held at the highest level, with all heads of state in attendance, signaling a fresh start in bilateral and regional relations. Beyond the political sphere, the ties between Central Asia and Korea run deep on a personal level. Central Asia is home to nearly a third of a million ethnic Koreans who were deported there by Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, in 1937. Today, around 100,000 descendants of these deportees continue to live in the region.