On April 5–6 this year, the Second Regional Kurultai of Kazakhs in Southeast Asia was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The event was organized by the "Qazaq Nomad" Kazakh community with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea and the "Otandastar Qory" NJSC.

Nearly 200 compatriots from Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Mongolia participated in the Kurultai. From the opening session onwards, various issues aimed at strengthening cultural, economic, and spiritual cooperation between Kazakhstan and Kazakhs abroad were actively discussed.

As part of the Kurultai, an exhibition of Kazakh books and paintings in national style by artist and craftswoman Akmaral Bakhytova was organized. This event aimed to promote traditional Kazakh culture and showcase national art to international audiences. Guests had the opportunity to explore Kazakhstan’s rich cultural heritage through artworks and witness modern interpretations of traditional Kazakh art.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by Nurghali Arystanov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Korea; Daniyar Kadyrov, President of the Otandastar Qory NJSC; and Turlan Zhanesenov, representative of the "Qazaq Nomad" Kazakh community in Seoul.

The Ambassador emphasized the significance of the Kurultai in promoting Kazakh culture abroad, strengthening cultural unity among the diaspora, preserving national values, and passing them on to future generations. He also noted the importance of such events in enhancing cultural ties between Kazakhstan and Korea and expressed support for future joint cultural projects with the Kazakh diaspora.

Daniyar Kadyrov highlighted that the main goal of the Kurultai is to strengthen unity and ties with compatriots abroad. He spoke about the foundation’s current initiatives supporting Kazakhs abroad and stressed the importance of cultural initiatives for raising Kazakhstan’s global profile.

Turlan Zhanesenov spoke about projects aimed at uniting Kazakh youth in Korea and emphasized the importance of preserving national culture abroad.

The first day featured plenary sessions on promoting Kazakh culture, preserving traditions abroad, and developing economic cooperation.

Speakers included:

• Svetlana Aitbayeva, Honored Artist of Kazakhstan, who discussed the cultural and artistic significance of Kazakh jewelry and its modern applications.
• Aigerim Musagazhinova, ethnographer and author of Unique Kazakh Dishes, who highlighted the unique features of traditional Kazakh cuisine and effective methods of integrating it into modern food culture.
• Son Young-Hoon, Professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, emphasized the role of the newly established Kazakh language department in promoting Kazakh studies and shared the achievements of Korean students learning Kazakh.
• Abzal Arykbayev, founder of the Turan ethnic-folk ensemble, member of the Arkaiym band, and art director of the QSANDYQ music app, spoke on modern promotion methods for Kazakh ethno-music.
• Zhubanysh Zheksenuly, Honored Artist of Kazakhstan, presented projects focused on preserving Kazakh musical heritage.
• Daniyar Kelbetov, Managing Director for Financial Products at the AIFC, shared insights into developing Kazakhstan’s creative economy and strengthening partnerships with international investors.
• Marzhan Kadyrova, representative of the Kazakh Center in Malaysia and digital content moderation team lead, shared social media initiatives to unite Kazakhs abroad.
• Yuri Kim, founder of "SoftBox" dubbing studio, spoke about promoting Kazakh culture through media and the role of dubbing in international cultural outreach.

For the first time, a Kazakh Language Oratory Contest was held abroad, organized by the Otandastar Qory and the Embassy. Seven students from Hankuk University participated, delivering speeches on Kazakh-Korean cultural parallels and the works of Abai.

The jury was chaired by People's Artist of Kazakhstan, Kanat Aitbayev.
Lee Seo-Young, a second-year student at Hankuk University, won first place, saying:"I believe that to become closer in culture, we should meet and talk more often. I want to learn Kazakh well and contribute to good relations between our countries."

Lee Seo-Young was awarded a round-trip ticket from Seoul to Almaty and a hotel voucher at tourist locations in Kazakhstan, sponsored by Air Astana and Pana Hotels, giving her an opportunity to further explore Kazakh language and culture.

On the second day, Nauryz was widely celebrated. A six-winged traditional yurt, gifted through the Otandastar Qory’s "Qorzhyn" project, was installed. National costumes and artworks were displayed near the yurt, attracting great interest. Guests also participated in traditional games like asýq aty, tug-of-war, langý, and togyzqumalaq.

A culinary masterclass titled "Kazakh Dastarkhan", led by ethnographer Aigerim Musagazhinova, featured the first international presentation of Balqaimaq, a dessert made from camel milk. Participants tasted it and learned about the unique traditions of Kazakh cuisine.

The celebration concluded with a festive concert. Kazakh students from Busan and local performers sang traditional songs. The highlight was a performance by Arkaiym, a neo-ethno-folk band from Kazakhstan, featuring the UNESCO-recognized Orteke instrument.

Prominent artists Zhubanysh Zheksenuly, Kanat and Svetlana Aitbayev also performed, leaving a lasting impression.

The Kurultai contributed significantly to strengthening cultural and economic cooperation with the Kazakh diaspora, promoting national values, and launching joint future projects. It marked an important step in uniting Kazakh communities abroad and promoting Kazakh culture and partnerships at the international level.

"Otandastar Qory" NJSC