HISTORICAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND UZBEKISTAN

Аннотация

This article analyzes the formation, development, and current stage of historical, diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Official mutual visits, trade and economic relations, technological cooperation, and exchanges in healthcare, education, and culture play an important role in strengthening bilateral cooperation. The article also examines Uzbekistan’s foreign policy directions within the framework of strategic partnership with Korea, joint projects, and therole of theKorean diaspora in thesocio-political lifeof thecountry. This paper highlights the prospects ofUzbekistan–Korea relations and theirimportance for regional stability. Keywords: historical relations between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea, bilateral cooperation, diplomatic relations, trade and economy, investment projects, technological cooperation, exchanges in education and culture, official visits, strategic partnership, healthcare, Korean diaspora, jointprograms, and regional stability. In Uzbekistan’s foreign policy, South Korea occupies an important place. As the First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, emphasized: “Uzbekistan’s relations with the Southeast Asian countries, which have acquired the status of newly industrialized nations, play a key role in the development and consolidation of the state, as well as in the country's integration intotheglobal economy.”[1]. Thanks to independence, our peoples began to establish free relations in the economic and cultural spheres. As a result of the interstate agreements signed in Tashkent in 1994 and in Seoul in February 1995, joint ventures have started and continue to operate in Uzbekistan. These enterprises are making avaluable contribution tothedevelopment ofour country[2]. After the visits of the First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, to the Republic of Korea in 1992, 1996, and 1999, the cooperation between Uzbekistan and South Korea significantly expanded and began to cover many sectors. During his visit to South Korea in June 1992, President I.A. Karimov familiarized himself with the activities of the “Daewoo Public Motors” automobile plant, and a cooperation agreement was signed with the company that same month. A large automobile plant began construction in the city of Asaka in the Andijan region. In March 1996, the first “Damas” vehicle was produced at theplant. From 1996,models like“Tico”and “Nexia”were alsotested[3]. In order to further intensify efforts to attract foreign investment, the government of South Korea compiled a list of 222 foreign companies that had expressed interest in exploring investment opportunities in the Republic of Korea. According to available data, 105 of these companies had already been identified, and theSouthKorean sideintended toestablish cooperation with them in thenear future (as of1998) [4]. It is noteworthy that by 2005, representative offices of 28 major South Korean firms and companies were operating in Uzbekistan. As a result of the state visit of the President of the Republicof Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to the Republic ofKorea from November 22 to 25, 2017, a Joint Statement on Comprehensive Expansion of Strategic Partnership was adopted. http://www.internationaljournal.co.in/index.php/jasass 742 Volume 15Issue 06, June 2025 Impact factor: 2019: 4.679 2020: 5.015 2021: 5.436, 2022: 5.242, 2023: 6.995, 2024 7.75 Morethan 20intergovernmental, interstate, and interdepartmental agreements were signed, along with a total of 64 documents in trade-economic, financial-technical, and other spheres, amounting to over 10 billion USD. Of this amount, 4 billion USD consisted of direct Korean investments[5]. Inter-parliamentary exchanges between the two countries are successfully developing. In 1995, the “Korea–Uzbekistan” Friendship Association was established in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. In 2005, a special group for cooperation with Korea was created in the LegislativeChamber ofthe OliyMajlis of Uzbekistan. In September 2017, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Korea, Chung Sye-kyun, visited Uzbekistan, and in February 2018, the Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan,Nurdinjon Ismoilov, paid a visitto theRepublicofKorea. Since 1995, regular political consultations have been held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs ofthetwo countries, with thetwelfth round held in Tashkent in 2016. The volume of investments made by South Korea into Uzbekistan’s economy has exceeded 7 billion USD. Korean language, culture, and computer centers operate at the Uzbek State University of World Languages and Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. In total, Korean is taught at 13 higher education institutionsand in 28schools, lyceums,and colleges across therepublic. Currently, Uzbekistan’s higher education institutions cooperate with over 30 South Korean universities and research centers to f