Eurasian Policy of the Republic of Korea

Abstract

The article distinguishes three steps of development of the Eurasian policy of the Republic of Korea, and three interests that empowered the development of the country’s Eurasian policy
since the beginning of democratization both in South Korea and in Eurasian countries as a result of collapse of the Soviet Union. The first step of development of South Korea’s Eurasian policy lasted through
late 2000s; South Korea’s elite perceived relations with Eurasian nations primarily as a means to engage
North Korea on that step. On the second step, which lasted since late 2000s till late 2010s, South Korea
alternated the policy aimed at engagement of North Korea, but relations with Eurasian nations continued
developing; moreover, since 2013 attempts have been made to harmonize those relations, including by
means of President Park Geun-hye’s proposed Eurasian Initiative. Recently, the third step began, when
South Korea started seeking to engage North Korea again; that is expected to place Eurasian policy even
higher on the agenda of South Korea’s foreign policy. Besides search for peace on the Korean Peninsula,
South Korea’s Eurasian policy has been driven by two other interests: economic interests and the interests
of Koryo-saram, large groups of ethnic Koreans, who live in Russia, Kazakhstan and some other Eurasian
countries.