South Korea has been developing a dialogue with Uzbekistan since 1992 and has achieved remarkable success over this period.
A Brief History of Bilateral Economic Relations
South Korea has been fostering dialogue with Uzbekistan since 1992 and, during this time, has made significant strides. By 2016, the bilateral legal framework already included over 200 documents, the most important of which are the Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed in 2006 and the Declaration on Special Strategic Partnership signed in 2019. Moreover, in 2024, both sides reached an agreement to develop a “new model of partnership.”
Seventeen high-level meetings between the two countries from 1992 to 2022 reflect the mutual interest they hold in each other. The most recent summit, as of now, was held in Tashkent during the visit of President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea to Uzbekistan. South Korea is primarily interested in Uzbekistan’s transport and logistics potential and labor force, but most importantly—in exporting its technologies to the country. Interestingly, the area of fuel and energy cooperation, which is traditionally prioritized in relations between more developed and less developed nations, is of secondary importance. For example, while the Korean side plans to participate in the geological exploration of rare metals in Uzbekistan, no major projects have been proposed thus far. This suggests that Seoul does not view Uzbekistan as a mere “raw materials appendage” but is instead building a robust production base using its own technologies to secure a firm foothold in Central Asia and establish productive economic relations with other regional countries.
Uzbekistan, for its part, seeks to become an equal and valuable partner to South Korea, using the latter as a counterbalance to the economic influence of other players (including China, Turkey, and Russia). More importantly, Uzbekistan aims to learn from Korea’s experience in market reforms and the creation of a sustainable national economy.
The Republic of Korea ranks among Uzbekistan’s leading trade and investment partners. In 2023, bilateral trade turnover reached $2.5 billion USD, while South Korean investments exceeded $7.5 billion USD. In 2024, South Korea held fifth place (3% of the total volume) in Uzbekistan’s foreign trade structure, following China (18.9%), Russia (17.6%), Kazakhstan (6.5%), and Turkey (4.5%). Thus, South Korea is Uzbekistan’s most significant partner among the “new actors” in Central Asia, trailing only slightly behind Turkey, which is not only seen as a “traditional player” in the region but is also known for various regional geopolitical initiatives.
Key Areas of Cooperation Between Uzbekistan and South Korea
As previously noted, bilateral economic cooperation is primarily developing in the construction, transport and logistics, and migration sectors.
In the construction sector, collaboration is taking place across a wide range of projects. Following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Uzbekistan in 2024, South Korean companies committed to supporting the construction of a pharmaceutical park (Tashkent Pharma Park) in the Tashkent region, modernizing heating systems in certain regions of Uzbekistan, and building a waste recycling plant in Jizzakh region (valued at $6.2 million USD) through the Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco). Additionally, the two sides are discussing joint production opportunities in various areas: cosmetics with NEW&NEW, chemical products with Kumho P&B Chemicals and Lotte Chemical, building materials with KCC Corporation, and a waste processing complex with EcoBio.
In the transport and logistics sector, relations are also developing rapidly. Tashkent and Seoul are currently connected by 10 weekly flights. As a result of the aforementioned presidential visit, the Uzbek side will purchase six high-speed trains from Hyundai Rotem for nearly $250 million USD via the Korea Export-Import Bank. Interestingly, these trains will operate along the Tashkent–Urgench–Khiva route.
The Migration Sector
The migration component of bilateral cooperation deserves special attention. The number of Uzbek citizens living in South Korea has reached 95,000—a significant figure for a country with a relatively small population of around 51.7 million. An Uzbek diaspora has now formed in nearly every major Korean city. Moreover, Uzbekistan is historically home to 180,000–200,000 ethnic Koreans (the largest Korean diaspora in the CIS), which provides an additional incentive to deepen bilateral relations across all areas. Interestingly, the vast majority of Uzbeks residing in Korea are “Uzbek Koreans,” while the proportion of officially registered labor migrants is much smaller—in 2024, only 3,080 were recorded.
South Korea actively promotes exchanges in various domains. Four branches of leading South Korean universities operate in Uzbekistan, and over 11,000 Uzbek students are currently studying in South Korea. To further encourage “people-to-people contacts,” South Korea runs a wide range of educational programs, including Korean language courses (e.g., through the Korean Cultural Center), public administration training (already completed by 2,250 Uzbek civil servants), as well as healthcare and sports initiatives. According to the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Uzbekistan receives between $10 million and $15 million annually in official development assistance (ODA) to support these initiatives. Furthermore, in 2024, Uzbekistan and South Korea declared 2025 the “Year of Mutual Exchange” to expand economic and cultural ties through joint events.
However, the migration sphere also faces a number of challenges related to undocumented migrants. According to South Korean authorities, the number of such individuals from Uzbekistan ranges between 3,000 and 4,000—approximately 10% of the total number of legal Uzbek migrants. Under South Korean law, if the proportion of undocumented workers from a particular country exceeds 10%, the government may consider reducing, limiting, or canceling visa quotas for that country. Nonetheless, this is largely a “technical issue,” as South Korea is deeply interested in strengthening ties with Central Asia—partly to balance the increasing number of Chinese migrants in the country, which surpassed 620,000 in 2023 (both legal and undocumented). Moreover, South Korea is considering the introduction of a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens to boost tourism. In such a scenario, the number of Chinese migrants is likely to rise further, making Uzbek nationals—especially ethnic Koreans—an important factor in easing potential tensions in this domain.
Thus, South Korea and Uzbekistan are vigorously developing a special strategic partnership, primarily in the areas of construction, transportation and logistics, and migration. South Korea aims to supply its technologies to Uzbekistan and build a local production and technological chain to secure its economic position in Central Asia. Additionally, the Korean side relies on Uzbek labor migrants—particularly ethnic Koreans—as a labor force that can both support the national economy and balance the influx of Chinese migrants. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan views South Korea as a vital component of its multi-vector foreign policy, helping to balance ties with China, Turkey, and Russia, while also drawing valuable lessons from Korea’s experience in building a sustainable and resilient national economy.
Nazar KURBANOV, trainee, Centre for Spatial Analysis of International Relations, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO
