Korea and Central Asia: Complementarity as a Strategy for the Future
ORIENT | Analytics. The Republic of Korea's phenomenal leap forward, known in world history as the "Miracle on the Han River," demonstrated that technology, willpower, and human capital are the primary resources for modernization. Today, as the global architecture of international relations undergoes a period of profound transformation and a search for a new balance, the trajectory of Korea's technological success intersects with the new reality of Central Asia, which is experiencing an industrial and logistics renaissance.
The emerging interaction between Ashgabat, its regional neighbors, and Seoul is fundamentally based on objective complementarity: Korea's advanced competencies, artificial intelligence, and smart solutions perfectly align with the Central Asian region's colossal natural resource, transport, transit, and demographic potential.
This is why the Central Asia – Republic of Korea Summit is of interest not only as another high-level diplomatic meeting, but also as a possible milestone in the transition to a new stage of long-term partnership. This was discussed at the recent Central Asia – Korea Think Tank Forum in Dushanbe.
The Republic of Korea is one of the world's leading economies (a member of the G20), with a high per capita income. The Republic of Korea's path itself is of particular value to the Central Asian states. In a relatively short period of time, the country has managed to transform itself from a resource-poor country into one of the most technologically advanced economies in the world.
In this regard, Korea's experience in modernizing industry, public administration, science, and education through digitalization and the use of AI is of not only practical but also strategic interest to the countries of our region.
It should be emphasized that modern cooperation between the Republic of Korea and the Central Asian states has evolved over more than two decades, gradually moving from isolated bilateral initiatives to a sustainable multilateral mechanism of interaction. This consistency has allowed for the creation of a solid institutional foundation for the current strategic dialogue.
Turkmenistan's practical experience confirms that dialogue with the Republic of Korea has long since gone beyond mere trade relations. The implementation of major projects in the gas chemical industry, infrastructure, and industrial modernization demonstrates the potential for a deeper technological partnership based on the combination of the region's natural resource potential and the high competencies of Korean industry.
An equally important advantage of Central Asia is its youthful human capital. A high proportion of young people creates favorable conditions for the development of a modern knowledge economy, the training of qualified personnel, and the adoption of new technologies. With modern educational programs and international technological cooperation, this potential could become a key factor in the region's long-term development.
Today, strengthening the trade and economic partnership between Central Asia and the Republic of Korea is particularly important, including by eliminating unjustified non-tariff barriers. This serves the interests of both our economies and societies. Regulatory harmonization—the consistent convergence of legal norms and technical standards, ensuring their mutual compatibility and creating more favorable conditions for trade, investment, and industrial cooperation—is an important area of focus.
Despite the steady growth of mutual trade, its potential significantly exceeds current levels. One source of further growth could be the development of cross-border e-commerce through the simplification of digital trade procedures and the development of a modern e-commerce infrastructure.
The modernization of the Central Asian textile industry, based on modern Korean technologies and using high-quality cotton from the region, could provide additional impetus to cooperation.
The participation of Korean companies not only in the construction of transport infrastructure facilities but also in their subsequent operation, management, and digitalization, including the implementation of intelligent transport systems and smart mobility technologies, is particularly important.
The creation of modern logistics centers, the development of customs infrastructure, and the improvement of cross-border goods movement procedures will contribute to strengthening transport and transit connectivity.
Additional opportunities are being created by developing multimodal transport corridors, including rail, road, and air links, as well as expanding Central Asia's transport links with the seaports of neighboring countries, including Karachi and Gwadar, to further connect to the Republic of Korea's transport routes.
A significant element of this work could be the creation of modern logistics hubs in Ashgabat, Tashkent, and Almaty, as well as the implementation of a unified digital cargo management platform that unites all participants in the transport process into a single information space.
The development of the energy, gas, and petrochemical industries is currently acquiring strategic importance. In this regard, the participation of Korean companies in projects for the advanced processing of natural gas and the modernization of Central Asia's energy infrastructure using modern, environmentally friendly technologies is an important area of cooperation.
Particular attention should be paid to developing cooperation in clean energy, including hydrogen technologies, carbon capture and storage technologies, and peaceful nuclear energy—while strictly adhering to safety and seismic stability requirements. Such cooperation will contribute to strengthening energy security and achieving carbon neutrality goals.
In this regard, it seems timely to recall Turkmenistan's initiative to develop a United Nations international legal instrument aimed at establishing new principles for international cooperation in the energy sector.
Equally relevant is the development of partnerships in information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, human resource development, scientific research, and the safe application of AI technologies. Such partnerships will gradually narrow the technological gap between our regions, making the partnership more equitable, effective, and focused on long-term results.
One underutilized potential remains cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in the fields of information technology and innovation. Their active collaboration could lay the foundation for the subsequent implementation of large-scale industrial projects.
Central Asia has vast territories with arid climates and is experiencing increasing water shortages. The Republic of Korea has accumulated significant experience in the rational management of land and water resources, as well as in the restoration of forest ecosystems in arid regions. Combining these capabilities could make a significant contribution to combating desertification and land degradation.
In this context, the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan to establish a UN Regional Centre for Climate Change Technologies in Central Asia deserves special attention. Climate change requires increased attention to the development of agriculture, particularly crop production, livestock farming, crop breeding, and the introduction of modern agricultural technologies, as these areas largely determine the food security of the countries in the region.
The development of aquaculture could also be a promising area of cooperation. The Republic of Korea has significant experience in seafood production and aquatic bioresource farming. Sharing this experience is of interest to the Central Asian states, which share both the Caspian Sea and numerous inland water bodies.
In the area of security, the principle of the indivisibility of its various components is particularly relevant. Modern threats require further strengthening of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, transnational crime, and drug trafficking, as well as the development of the law enforcement capacity of our countries.
Significant prospects are also opening up in the tourism sector. The experience of individual Central Asian states convincingly demonstrates that the development of the tourism industry can become a key driver of economic growth.
Ecological, medical, business, cultural, and extreme tourism have great potential. The region's unique natural conditions—deserts, mountain ranges, the Caspian Sea, karst caves, and healing springs—allow for the creation of competitive, internationally recognized tourism products. To this end, it seems appropriate to develop uniform standards for the quality and safety of tourism services.
Developing cooperation between Central Asia and the Republic of Korea presupposes a consistent transition from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. Particular attention should be paid to professional training, joint educational and research programs, academic exchanges, and advanced training for specialists.
The pandemic experience has clearly demonstrated the need to strengthen cooperation in healthcare. Sharing cutting-edge medical technologies, developing digital healthcare, improving epidemiological monitoring systems, and conducting joint scientific research will contribute to strengthening the public health of our countries.
An equally important advantage of Central Asia is its youthful human capital. A high proportion of young people creates favorable conditions for the development of a modern knowledge economy, the training of qualified personnel, and the adoption of new technologies. With modern educational programs and international technological cooperation, this potential could become a key factor in the region's long-term development.
Alongside this, it is necessary to expand contacts between young people, support cooperation in creative industries, and organize joint scientific conferences, innovation competitions, and thematic festivals.
The humanitarian dimension of cooperation is also gaining particular importance. The growing popularity of Korean culture, educational programs, and academic exchanges contributes to the strengthening of mutual trust between our societies. Ultimately, it is human contacts that create the social foundation upon which long-term economic and political projects are subsequently built.
The younger generation, in particular, will be the main bearer of the future partnership between Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, and investments in their education, professional growth, and creative potential are investments in the future.
Turkmenistan is already demonstrating a high level of practical cooperation with the Republic of Korea in the gas chemical industry, infrastructure construction, and industrial modernization, confirming the existence of a solid foundation for further expansion of cooperation.
The Republic of Korea and Central Asia are entering a new stage of dialogue because their development models do not compete, but rather mutually reinforce each other. The long-term nature of their cooperation is determined not by the convergence of current interests, but by the combination of Korea's technological capabilities and Central Asia's resource, transport, and human potential.
It is this complementarity that creates the foundation for joint modernization, sustainable development, and the creation of a new space for economic growth in Eurasia.
The upcoming Central Asia-Republic of Korea Summit in September should be viewed as more than just another important meeting. Its significance lies in the opportunity to take cooperation to a qualitatively new level – from individual projects to the formation of a long-term strategic partnership between the two regions.
Bekdurdy AMANSARYEV,
Expert, Center for Strategic Studies, Institute of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
