South Korea - The Times Of Central Asia

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South Korea Set to Intensify Cooperation with Central Asia

With the intention of intensifying cooperation between Seoul and Central Asia, South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol will make a state visit to three Central Asian countries from 10-15 June. As reported by Kim Tae-hyo First Deputy Director of the National Security Office of the Presidential Administration, President Yoon Suk-Yeol accompanied by his wife Kim Gong Hee, will visit Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan and engage in talks with the countries' leaders as well as participate in business forums. Kim Tae-hyo emphasized that South Korea aims to intensify diplomacy and cooperation with Central Asia through wide-ranging efforts. These include a regular summit of the Korea-Central Asia K-Silk Road Initiative, the first of which will be hosted by Seoul next year. “Through this initiative, we intend to promote the joint, free, and peaceful development and prosperity of Korea and the Central Asian region,” stated Kim Tae-hyo The main areas of cooperation under the Initiative include the development of four key sectors : natural resources, official development assistance, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and enhanced official and private contacts. Areas for cooperation will be identified and prioritized in each of the five Central Asian countries :Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Cooperation in Kazakhstan will focus on energy and infrastructure; in Kyrgyzstan, water resources and tourism, and in Turkmenistan, constructing energy plants. Seoul makes no secret of its high interest in the region's rich natural resources, including uranium, lithium and tungsten.

Environmental Awareness Foreign Investment South Korea Kazakhstan Energy

South Korean Сompanies to Modernize Kazakhstan’s Power Plants

At the end of April, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, KEPCO and Doosan Enerbility regarding the South Korean companies’ investment in modernizing Kazakhstan’s GRES Topar power plant and power plants in Astana, Almaty, and Pavlodar. Kazakh Invest welcomed the Korean partners’ pledge to provide innovative environmental solutions to increase the plants’ productivity. In support of the initiative, Kim Jung-Kwan, Senior Vice President of Doosan Enerbility, commented, "The environmental solutions of KEPCO and Doosan Enerbility are optimal for the government of Kazakhstan, which seeks to reduce the level of air pollution in the country. After signing this memorandum, we will work together to contribute to the development of environmentally friendly energy projects in Kazakhstan.”

South Korea Uzbekistan Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Migration

Central Asians Continue Working in South Korea Despite Legal Issues

The authorities in the Republic of Korea have offered an option to citizens of Uzbekistan who are in the country illegally to return home without facing legal repercussions. To do this, they must voluntarily leave South Korea by February 29th to avoid being subject to deportation rules and be able to return legally in the future. According to the Agency for External Labor Migration of Uzbekistan, illegal migrants can apply for voluntary departure with the immigration service of Korea up until three working days before the expected date of departure. Applicants need to present their passport and an airline ticket. The service will then issue the migrant an identity card, with which Uzbekistani nationals will be able to return to their home country without hindrance. South Korea is one of the most popular destinations for Uzbeks, both for work and studies, with Uzbeks occupy fifth place by size of foreign diaspora in the country and numbering more than 69,000. Among them are a large number who are in Korea illegally; according to this indicator, Uzbekistan ranks third. The most popular scheme involves obtaining a D-4 visa, which is granted to foreign citizens who study the Korean language. Having received this and reached the Korean peninsula, citizens of Uzbekistan then start working and stay in the country illegally. In recent years, the Government of Uzbekistan has established regulations for legal and safe labor migration to South Korea, and at the start of 2024, the republic announced its intention to attract 100,000 Uzbeks to work in the country. Workers are required in sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, services, and construction. To enter the South Korean workforce legally, Uzbeks need to pass language qualification exams and interviews. Labor migration to South Korea is also well established in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Over the past 16 years, 5,000 Kyrgyz have been employed. Citizens of Kyrgyzstan can work there under a contract for four years and nine months, and receive more $2,000 per month. This year, Korea has allocated a quota for labor migrants in the amount of 3,300 people - an increase of 18% on 2023. By contrast, the issue of labor migration to South Korea from Kazakhstan is still at the negotiation stage. If the parties reach an agreement, Kazakhs will be able to work in Korea for three years - provided they successfully pass the language and professional tests. However, the lack of an agreement does not stop those who wish to earn money in Korea: according to the immigration service of Korea, since the beginning of 2023 about 7,000 Kazakh citizens have been staying in the country without labor visas. The number of companies interested in hiring illegal migrants in South Korea is constantly expanding for one simple reason: it's profitable. Migrants are not protected in any way in case of labor disputes, and they earn much lower wages than legal workers. Accordingly, the number of migrants who die working in dangerous industries is also increasing. From 2019 to 2022 alone, 61 Kazakh...

South Korea Disaster Response

Korea Helps Build Firefighting Station in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

On December 8th, a landmark ceremony was held in the city of Cholpon-Ata to mark the successful completion of the construction of a fire and rescue station built by cooperation between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNDP website stated. The Plenipotentiary Representative of the Kyrgyz President in the Issyk-Kul region, the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Kyrgyz Republic, KOICA Country Director, and the UNDP Resident Representative attended the ceremony. This construction is part of a broader initiative to construct four fire and rescue stations across Kyrgyzstan, with the other three to be in Bishkek, Osh, and Suzak (Jalal-Abad region). The collaboration aims not only to bolster the Kyrgyz Republic's disaster management capabilities with the supply of modern firefighting equipment and machinery, and to enhance the overall quality of firefighting services. Along with technical assistance, the UNDP improved the working conditions of firefighters, mainstreamed gender equality, expanded universal access to fire services, and ensured adherence to sustainable development principles. Boobek Azhikeev, the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, noted the project's timeliness, given the annual increase in the number of fires. “Major fires around the world, which have claimed many lives and turned mountain forests into ash, are once again calling for firefighters and rescuer services in Kyrgyzstan to strengthen their efforts,” he said. “As part of our cooperation, we have successfully implemented the initial stages of a grant project to increase the capacity of the fire and rescue service with a total amount of $8 million.” The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Lee Won-jae stated that “since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, Korea and Kyrgyzstan have expanded cooperation in various fields, and we hope that exchanges and cooperation between the two countries will expand and deepen in the future. The Korean government plans to continue to strengthen development cooperation to assist Kyrgyzstan's socioeconomic development and improve the quality of life of its people.” Ms. Alexandra Solovieva, the UNDP Resident Representative, emphasized the importance of disaster risk reduction and climate emergency response. “We joined hands to expand access to more than 400,000 people to receive timely assistance in case of emergencies,” she stated. “We worked to reduce incident response times by providing modern equipment and technology that play a key role in saving the lives of people in the Issyk-Kul region.” While the Cholpon-Ata fire and rescue station is now operational, construction in Bishkek, Osh, and Suzak is progressing and is expected to be completed by next year.

Kyrgyzstan Investments Economy Migration Trade Labor South Korea

Kyrgyzstan expanding trade, investment ties with South Korea

BISHKEK (TCA) — The Republic of Korea is among Kyrgyzstan’s closest partners in the Asian region, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammedkaly Abylgaziev said at the Kyrgyz-Korean business forum on July 17 in Bishkek. Continue reading

Culture Kazakhstan South Korea

Large exhibition of Kazakhstan’s contemporary art opens in South Korea

ASTANA (TCA) — The National Museum of Kazakhstan has opened the exhibition “Eurasian Utopia: Post Scriptum” at Suwon Ipark Museum of Art in South Korea. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the museum. More than 100 works of 57 artists of the Soviet period and modern times are presented. The exhibition is the fourth and final in a series of foreign events of the Focus Kazakhstan international project, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported. Continue reading