“Middle Power Cooperation Between Turkey and Korea in Public Diplomacy: Turkey’s Asia Anew Initiative and Korea’s New Northern Policy”
Date and Time: April 15, Tuesday, 2025, 10:30-12:30
Venue: A130 Seminar Room
Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Chong-Jin Oh, Hankuk University
Abstract:
Middle powers such as Turkey and South Korea are increasingly leveraging public diplomacy to strengthen their global influence, particularly in Asia-Pacific and Eurasian regions. Historically bound by a deep-rooted relationship since the Korean War and sharing common Altaic linguistic and cultural heritage, Turkey and Korea have a unique potential to enhance their cooperation significantly. This presentation analyzes how both countries could maximize this potential, especially within the context of Turkey’s Asia Anew Initiative and Korea’s New Northern Policy, which reflect their evolving diplomatic and strategic interests.
Short biography:
Prof. Dr. Chong-Jin Oh earned his Ph.D. in International Relations from Bilkent University, and his studies concentrate on Turkish and Central Asian studies. He works as a Professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), where he serves as the Chair of the Department of Turkish-Azerbaijani Studies and the Department of Turkish-Central Asia-Mongolian Studies at the Graduate School. He also holds professorial positions in the Graduate Schools of International Area Studies, International Relations, and Global Cultural Contents Studies at HUFS. His research interests include international relations, cultural studies, Turkish-Central Asia relations, Turkish foreign policy, East Asian politics, public diplomacy, and ethnic minority issues in Central Asia and the Turkic Republics.
Throughout his career, Prof. Oh has held several significant academic and administrative positions, including Director of the Critical Foreign Language Education Center at HUFS, Dean of External Development, and Dean of the Office of International Affairs at HUFS. He was a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor at the State University of New York, where he taught and conducted research in the Department of History. He has published extensively on topics related to the Turkic world, including Turkey’s foreign policy, Central Asian politics, and the socio-cultural dynamics of Turkic communities.