Relationship dossier
Afghanistan
South Korea
Relationship assessment
Bilateral cooperation has centered on reconstruction and development, with post-2021 engagement less clear.
Afghanistan toward South Korea
+15Afghan authorities cooperated with South Korean reconstruction efforts, including the provincial reconstruction team in Parwan. The scope of direct engagement by Afghanistan's post-2021 authorities with South Korea is unclear.
South Korea toward Afghanistan
+35South Korea contributed personnel and development assistance to Afghanistan, including through a provincial reconstruction team in Parwan. It has also provided humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship has included sustained South Korean contributions to Afghanistan's reconstruction and cooperation with Afghan authorities. Its practical shape changed after the 2021 change of government, leaving the extent of direct bilateral engagement less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Afghanistan and South Korea have maintained bilateral relations and cooperated on reconstruction and development. South Korea contributed personnel and assistance to Afghanistan, including a provincial reconstruction team in Parwan. The 2021 change of government in Afghanistan altered the context for bilateral engagement, and the scope of subsequent direct cooperation is unclear.
Key developments
South Korea operated a provincial reconstruction team in Parwan in cooperation with Afghan authorities.
Following the 2021 change of government in Afghanistan, the context for South Korean engagement shifted and humanitarian assistance became a prominent form of support.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct cooperation between South Korea and Afghanistan's post-2021 authorities is unclear.
- Details of Afghan government support for South Korean-led reconstruction activities are limited.