In the history of every nation, some places come to mean more than their architecture, squares, or parks. They become part of a country’s collective memory, preserving the experiences of previous generations while looking toward the future. K-PARK, an international cultural and business center under development in Alatau City, is designed to be such a space. The foundation stone was laid on September 12, 2025.
The project was initiated by the Association of Koreans of Kazakhstan and is timed to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the Korean presence in Kazakhstan, marked in 2027. K-PARK is the first investment project in this new city, weaving the history of one of Kazakhstan’s ethnic groups into the fabric of a city still being built.
Memory of an Arduous Journey
The history of the Koryo-saram in Kazakhstan is inseparable from the tragic deportation of 1937, when most were forcibly relocated from the Soviet Far East to Central Asia. For the first generation of deportees, Kazakhstan was an unknown land to which they arrived against their will.
Over subsequent generations, the Koreans of Kazakhstan became an integral part of the country’s society, contributing to agriculture and industry as well as to science and medicine. They became active in education and culture, in business and civic life. The approaching 90th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on this journey, and K-PARK is designed to give that memory a spatial form. Plans include a memorial of gratitude to the Kazakh people and a Garden of Identity. A dedicated Koryo-saram area would use historical reconstructions and a traditional Korean hanok house to tell the community’s story; museum and exhibition spaces would offer further context.
Gratitude as a Component of Historical Memory
The collective memory of Kazakhstan’s Koryo-saram community preserves many stories from the early years following the deportation, including accounts of harsh living conditions and of help from the local population. The project’s creators describe K-PARK as a symbol of respect and gratitude toward the Kazakh people and Kazakh land.
Remembering the deportation therefore has another dimension: the solidarity of those who helped the displaced and the capacity of different peoples to coexist. K-PARK seeks to preserve the memory of a traumatic past and show how an ordeal endured can become a foundation for mutual respect and constructive action.
From Ethnic Park to Open Public Space
K-PARK is not intended to be solely a Korean ethno-cultural site. The planned cultural and business center will accommodate conferences and exhibitions. Its library and interactive museum would offer other ways to encounter the community’s history. Outside, a 5,000-seat amphitheater and sports and children’s playgrounds would provide space for performances and recreation. The official concept also envisions public events and international gatherings.
For Koryo-saram, it can serve as a place to preserve historical memory and pass it on to new generations. For other Kazakhstanis, it offers a space to learn about the history of the country’s Korean community and its place in Kazakhstan’s wider history.
In September 2026, Yuriy Tskhay, chairman of the Association of Koreans of Kazakhstan, said there were plans to invite Koryo-saram representatives from around the world to the opening of K-PARK.
For visitors from the Republic of Korea, the park could serve as a window into the little-known history of the Korean diaspora in Eurasia. For Koryo-saram living abroad, it could also become a meeting place for people whose family histories are linked to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
A Bridge Between Kazakhstan and Korea
Over recent decades, relations between Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea have grown through trade and investment. Cooperation now reaches into technology and healthcare, while education and culture connect people in both countries. Within this relationship, Koryo-saram occupy a distinctive position: Kazakhstan is their homeland, while historical and cultural ties to Korea remain part of their identity.
K-PARK aims to give this “bridge” function a physical home within a modern urban development. The intention is to preserve the culture of the past and make it a resource for education and international exchange, alongside business cooperation.
Its location in Alatau City gives the project another layer of significance. K-PARK is situated in the Golden District, which is being developed as a cluster for education, healthcare, culture, and the creative industries. Official Alatau City materials designate K-PARK as the new city’s first anchor project combining culture and business.
A new city is built from more than roads and buildings. It also needs a story about who lives there and where they came from, one that speaks to the values they want to pass on. K-PARK has the potential to become part of that emerging identity for Alatau City, linking the development of a new urban center to the history of a community that has lived in Kazakhstan for almost 90 years.
According to the latest information from the Association of Koreans of Kazakhstan, K-PARK is set to include 14 functional zones with parkland and cultural-business infrastructure, as well as a 65-meter observation tower. The complex is scheduled to open in 2027.
The project’s international role was also highlighted at the first Central Asia–Republic of Korea Summit in Seoul on September 16, 2026, where President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the role of Koryo-saram as a bridge between Central Asia and the Republic of Korea. He also intended to invite South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to the opening of K-PARK in Alatau City in 2027.
The opening of K-PARK could therefore mark the beginning of a new chapter. It looks both backward and forward, preserving the memory of the past while creating a space for a shared future.
