A Dolphin in an Oil Sea : Application of the Korean Version of Middle Power State Concept to the Case of Kazakhstan

This article analyses the foreign policy of Kazakhstan through the prism of the modern version of the middle power concept that was elaborated upon by Korean scholars. Results of the research demonstrate that it is relevant to identify Kazakhstan as a middle power state in the fourth wave, of which the Republic of Korea is already part. This research allowed the detection of a couple of key factors (the essentially important role of President Nazarbayev in current foreign affairs and the energy-oriented and energy-dependent economy) that may negatively influence Kazakhstan’ s status as a middle power in future in case of an unsuccessful power transition.