• Acta Via Serica
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-90
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• 2021

In the last several decades, and especially since the Chinese launching of the Belt and Road (BRI) initiative in 2013, the Chinese presence in Central Asia has intensified. Russia and Chinese leaders deny that there is any conflict of interests between them, while the standard narrative has been that the two states adhere to a functional division of tasks in which China concentrates on economic activity while Russia acts as the security guarantor for the region. This article argues that the professed equanimity between the Russian and Chinese leaderships masks the emergence of widening cracks in their relationship with regard to Central Asia. The convenient narrative of a functional division of tasks between the two states is called into question by China's increasingly active presence in the military and security sector in the region, but China's influence is growing throughout the Central Asian economic, political, and social order. China's movement into Central Asia challenges Russia's claim to act as an equal partner of China, as well as its pretensions to regional hegemony. This development reflects the widening disparity between the two states with respect to their power capabilities but it also exposes the interactions between Russia and China in Central Asia as the most vulnerable aspect of their relationship. In Central Asia, a defensive Russia encounters an ascendant China.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.187-198
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• 2020

This paper is devoted to the examination of the identity of the Sogdian descendants and their historical role in the second millennium CE. More specifically, it discusses the Sogdian connection to the later Iranic-speaking peoples of Central Asia, namely, the Sarts and the Tajiks. It then discusses the symbiotic relationship between the Sogdian descendants and the Mongols and the Mongol descendants (Chaghatays and Uzbeks) in Central Asia. In sum, this paper argues that the Sogdians did not perish after the Arab conquest of Central Asia in the eighth century CE. They survived under new exonyms Sart and Tajik. Like the Sogdians in pre-Islamic Central Asia, the Tajiks or Sarts played important historical roles in the Mongol and post-Mongol states of Central Asia, maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the nomad elites.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.35-54
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• 2020

China's 'One Belt One Road' initiative has had a profound impact on China's relationship with Central Asia, which shares borders at North-western region. Central Asia plays an important role in securing the export market of Chinese products, supply of raw materials, and transportation route to Europe. The inland port is of significance to facilitate the development of logistics, trade and industry in the surrounding areas by enabling the distribution and import and export clearance in the region by performing the role of the seaport on the hinterland. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of the development of inland ports in central and western China on the geopolitical relationship between China and Central Asia. To this end, we analyze the status of inland port development in China's Midwest by employing the SWOT-PEST analysis method to analyze the current status as well as prospects of trade, investment and transportation routes with Central Asia in terms of geopolitics. As a result of the analysis, the relations between China and Central Asian Countries are becoming more politically and economically close, but it has brought about serious challenges by domestic and foreign environmental changes. Therefore, the development of the inland ports in central and western China are determined by the geopolitical relations under 'One Belt One Road' initiative between China and Central Asia, while the development of the inland port is also expected to serve as a catalyst for the development of both regions.

• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.85-114
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze Russia-Central Asia relations since the launch of the EAEU in 2015 and forecast the future from a structural realism perspective. Bilateral relations have both elements of close cooperation and elements of conflict. Russia and Central Asia, which have the characteristics of an authoritarian alliance, also have a symbiotic relationship in which they have no choice but to cooperate with each other to maintain the regime. Based on this, Russia has made various efforts to reunify Central Asia. Central Asia also has no choice but to cooperate with Russia for its survival, but at the same time, it has expanded its scope of cooperation in the international community to avoid being subjugated to Russia again. However, as China's power expands, Russia's relative weakness, and wariness toward Russia increases after the Ukraine War, the gap in bilateral relations is widening. In particular, as China's influence grows, Russia's nervousness also increases. This is why Putin visits Central Asia and holds active summit talks even during the war in Ukraine. If competition between Russia and China surfaces, there is a high possibility that the international order in Central Asia will become unstable. However, it is still unlikely that the power of Russia and China will reverse in Central Asia. Above all, the security, historical, and cultural connections between Russia and Central Asia are areas that are difficult for China to catch up with. Therefore, a weakening of Russia's influence compared to the past is inevitable, but its superiority is expected to continue. If Russia breaks away from belligerence and transforms into an attractive cooperative partner, there is a possibility that bilateral relations will take an upward turn again. However, it seems unlikely that such changes and innovations will occur under the Putin regime. Therefore, the biggest obstacle to realizing Putin's goal of reunifying Central Asia is Putin himself.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2020

The paper discusses how the new EU Strategy towards Central Asia issued in May 2019 might be analyzed through the lens of the intensely debated transformations from the liberal to a post-liberal international order. The author claims that the EU's normative power is transforming from the post-Cold War predominantly liberal/ value-based approach, with democracy and human rights at its core, to a set of more technical tools and principles of good governance and effective management of public administration. The paper problematizes a nexus between the dynamics of the EU's nascent post-liberalism and the geopolitical challenges of the EU's growing engagement with illiberal regimes, focuses on direct encounters between the post-liberal EU and the illiberal elites in Central Asia, and seeks to find out the impact of these connections upon the EU's international subjectivity. In this context geopolitical dimensions of EU foreign and security policies, along with the specificity of the EU's geopolitical actorship in Central Asia, are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.3
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• pp.29-46
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• 1980

The purpose of this thesis is to find out how the upper garment styles in the Ancient East and est had been influenced with each other. Analytical studies conclude the fellowing findings: 1) Upper garment styles in the feat Asia and the Egypt already highly developed in 28th century B.C. and show us the original style of the wrap-over to the left and that of the round neckline(曲領). Upper garment of the open in the center front shown in Babylonia in 18th century B.C. had been inherited to the caftan of the Hebrew and later succeeded to the Persia. 2) The tunic styles of the round neckline, the wrap-over to the left and the open in the cotter front, which were the basic styles of the upper garment, had teen widely accepted to the central Asia and the East Asia, as well as the Northern Europe, from the West Asia. 3) The styles of the wrap-over to the right originated from China since it had begun to show in the Shang Dynasty(商代, 殷代). 4) The East and the West costumes had been very much intermixed in 4th century B.C. Alexander the Great of Macedoria in 4th century B.C. expanded his territory to the central Asia and built up the Bacteria, when the most western civilization had been greatly transmitted to the Orient. Meanwhile the tunic being clad in the West and Central Asia began to be worn by soldiers in the period of the Warring States in China (326-299 B.C.) and afterwards worn even by civil officials since the age of the T'ang Dynasty of China. 5) The Upper garments of the open in the center front, the wrap-over to the right, the wrap-over to the left and the round neckline were found in Korea, which mean that the upper garment styles in the Ancient Korea were intermixed of the factors from the West Asia, the central Asia and the East Asia. 6) The styles of costume in the East Asia were influenced by the West Asia through the central Asia. The upper garment styles Europe were also influenced by the West Asia. Thus the upper garment styles in the Ancient East and West had been mutually affected with each other.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2019

This paper attempts to reveal little-known pages from the history of relations between the peoples of Central Asia and Korea based on materials derived from written sources and modern scientific literature, as well as from medieval wall paintings from the early medieval Afrasiab Palace of Varhuman, the ruler of Samarkand, and from stone sculptures of Sogdian figures contained in Silla royal tombs. Korea's interest in the western lands led to its contact with Buddhism, which spread and later flourished in all three Korean kingdoms (Koguryo, Paekche and Silla). The spread of Buddhism in turn motivated a number of Korean monks to undertake pilgrimages to India via Central Asia. Hyecho, a young Silla pilgrim, left evidence of his journey via the South China Sea to India in 723 AD. Paul Pelliot discovered a report from Hyecho's journey entitled Notes on Pilgrimage to Five Regions in India (Wang Wu Tianzhuguo zhuan) in the Dunhuang caves in 1908. Hyecho's contributions are worthy of attention, substantially complementing knowledge available for this little-studied period in the history of South and Central Asia. The information contained in Hyecho's manuscript is, in fact, considered the most significant work of the first half of the 8th century. Research regarding the relationship between Central Asia and Korea remains underdeveloped. Existing historical evidence, however, including the above mentioned Samarkand wall paintings, depicts the visits of two Korean ambassadors to Samarkand, and evidence from Silla tombs suggests the presence of diplomatic relations in addition to trade between the two regions. Overall, the history of the relationship between Central Asia and Korea yields new insights into how and why these distant countries sustained trade and diplomatic and cultural exchange during this early period. Taking into account Korea's growing interest in Uzbekistan, especially in its history and culture, this article can act as a catalyst for studying the history of the two country's relations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.117-128
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• 2002

This paper is extended the meaning and period of CONICAL HAT. That is, the race in Central Asia and Western Asia have worn the conical hat before Scytian appeared. One in conical hat puts on the clothes of two-piece style and has the lifestyle. a horse riding and nomadism. Besides the race originate into the Indo-European language family. On the whole the conical hat has relations with the region and is classified into two groups. Scytian and Klin-Yar style. First. the Scytian style of low hat forms the seam of two-piece and is discovered in Southern Russia. Central Asia and East-Northern Asia. Second, the Klin-Yar style of high hat forms the one piece and generally is discovered in Asia Minor and west of Altai. Until now the moaning of the conical hat has focused on the military. However, one in Central Asia and Western Asia is mostly a king. nobility and god. Therefore, in addition to the meaning of military. I estimate that the conical hat may be expressed as the noble status.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.36
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• pp.167-181
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• 1998

This paper is the result of research about what imply the symbolic significance of the shamna's costume in Siberia and Central Asia by using plates, medias and exhibitions in JNME. The reselts of the present study are summarized as follows; 1) The researcher define the shamanism as incantation, religious phenomenon centering arround shaman who communicate with the existence of preternatualness by possession or trance. 2) Siberia and Central Asia's shamans are comunicated with the existence of preter naturalness by trance. 3) In Siberia and Central Asia, the shaman's costumes is presented in a shaman ritual are caps, jakets, ornaments, stick and shoes. They symbolize spiritual world, stupendous shaman and powerful animal. 4) A significant symbolic meaning of shaman's costumes is that they change shaman to the existence of preternatualness.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.559-575
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to systematically explain and discuss the return migration of Koreans in Central Asia to the Russian Far East. The Koreans' return migration is explained by the combination of push and pull factors inherent in the host and home countries. The structural or institutional push factors in Central Asia include the linguistic policy of a country, civil war, ethnic conflicts, while the micro ones are the Koreans' high concern of their children's education and the improvement of a socio-economic status. The macro pull factors operated in the Russian Far East are the permission to use the housing facilities and land previously controlled by military authorities and the laws of recovering the koreans' basic right and honor, while the micro ones are the networks of relatives and friends living in Central Asia and the Russian Far East. The two aspects related to the Koreans' return migration are also discussed. Firstly, the return migration of Koreans in Central Asia is interpreted as a migration of ethnic affinity. Secondly, the establishment of an autonomous district of Koreans in the Russian Far East is discussed.