Commemorating Constitution Day was held at the Kazakhstan Embassy's conference room.
Embassy Roundtable on Kazakhstan's Constitution Day
Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world with a low population density and a GNP of $13,000. It is home to 120,000 Koreans of Korean ancestry.
Kazakhstan has more opportunities to live than any other country in the world. It has been a young country, having gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991.
The constitution was amended by a referendum in 2022 to introduce a new political system, with the president serving a single seven-year term and no relatives of the president holding any power.
Power was delegated to the parliament and local governments, and corruption in the civil service was curbed.
Kazakhstan is a country where all citizens have equal opportunities in a state system based on democratic principles and strives for fair politics. It is a country that is making a leap forward by renewing its state system by establishing justice and fairness as the basic national idea.
On 29 August, a roundtable commemorating Constitution Day was held at the Kazakhstan Embassy's conference room.
Former Korean Ambassadors to Kazakhstan Kim Dae-sik and Baek Joo-hyun, Dr Kim Sang-cheol of the Central Asia Institute, Honorary Legal Advisor to Kazakhstan Go Go-seok, lawyer Lee Seung-jin of KORUS LAW, Deputy Director of the Korea-Korea Central Cooperation Forum Secretariat of the Korea Foundation for International Exchange, Jung Eun-i, Vice Chairman of the Korea Post English-language diplomatic magazine Kyung-hee Cho, and Editorial Director of the Korea Post, Sung Jung-wook attended.
Afterwards, Kazakhstan's Ambassador Nurgali Arystanov to Korea, gave a presentation on the Constitutional Convention.
"This year's Constitution Day is the first to be celebrated since the constitutional reforms came into effect through a referendum in June last year. These reforms have transformed Kazakhstan, marking an important milestone in the introduction of new democratic principles.
The registration process for new political parties was simplified, and for the first time since 2004, a system of linked proportional representation was introduced for parliamentary elections.
When the Constitution was first written in 1995, there were many challenges facing the newly independent country. Today, following the implementation of the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which amended one-third of the constitutional articles, Kazakhstan is essentially a new country compared to just a few years ago.
By guaranteeing individual freedoms, as well as freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, the Constitution provides a blueprint for Kazakhstan's social, economic, and political development. The Constitution also provides a solid legal framework for international cooperation," the Ambassador explained.
The Ambassador then went on to elaborate on the economic cooperation between the two countries. Today, South Korea is Kazakhstan's third largest trading partner and sixth largest investor. The trade partnership is particularly strong in the fields of energy resources, minerals, and agricultural products.
In 2022, trade doubled twice and has reached 6,5 billion US dollars expected to more than double, and more than 700 companies are operating with the participation of Korean capital. In this context, he expressed his desire to receive more investments from Korea.