Koreans in the Persian Gulf ─ Policies and International Relations

Analysing the Korean Peninsula’s contemporary engagement with the Persian Gulf region from the 1950s to the present day, the book begins by asking what drew Koreans to the region in the first place, and under what circumstances?

While taking into account a combination of both external and internal parameters shaping the dynamics of the Korean Peninsula’s interactions with the Persian Gulf region, this book largely concentrates on the agency factor to analyze the nature and scope of a rather multifaceted relationship between the two sides. The Republic of Korea has, in fact, maintained diverse connections to every single country in the Persian Gulf over the past decades, and its rather considerable activities and accomplishments in the region all justify such priority and overwhelming focus. North Korea’s record in the Persian Gulf, however, is predominantly constrained to its relationship with Iran, though Pyongyang has pursued relationships with some other states in the region. This book studies such elements of Pyongyang’s actions in the region as appendage to South Korea’s attainments.

Employing a process-tracing research method, this book is of interest for policy-makers, students and scholars of International Relations, Middle East Studies and Asian Studies.

Shirzad Azad is a visiting scholar at Seoul National University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations.