KOTI - Korea Transport institute

While alternative markets of the 2009 global financial crisis pushed the European traditional economic powerhouse into a downturn, the Eurasian emerging markets, such as Asia and CIS, were magnified. Particularly, until recent, the economic crisis in Europe has been deepening, an economic war between Russia and the West was intensified by the Ukraine crisis, and the rate of China's economic growth is slowing down. These situations suggest that the stagnation of the global economy is difficult to escape for the time being. In 2013, the Government of the Republic of Korea proposed a Eurasian initiative that can break through this global economic crisis via a new method. It promotes mutual growth and mutual prosperity through Eurasian economies, industries, culture, and transport cooperation. The remarkable part is that emerging Eurasian countries such as Central Eurasia and Mongolia that were reviewed to be central cooperation countries for successful implement of Eurasia initiatives are also included in Korea's emphasis on ODA countries.

Meanwhile, there was steady support for developing Eurasian countries through the ODA that the South Korean government promoted but the tendency has been to concentrate in education, health, industrial, and energy sectors. In particular, as many studies has analyzed, transport sector ODA projects that can contribute to real economic growth in the poorest nations or developing countries have often been low ranked and remained temporary, as seen in stopping master plan services.
Therefore, the above mentioned Eurasian initiative that the Republic of Korea promotes, aims at the expansion of transport sector ODA projects that target emerging Eurasian markets is notably needed to be implemented for the Silk Road Express in the transport logistics sector. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the implementation of Eurasian ODA initiatives through the cooperation of the Silk Road Express and the Republic of Korea’s ODA which will enhance effectiveness of the Republic of Korea simultaneously. To this end, this study analyzed the need and significance of association between Eurasian initiatives and ODA projects, trends promoting the transport sector ODA, transport logistics conditions in Eurasia, and the condition of ODA projects’ process. The study also found ODA target countries and core business for the transport sector in Eurasia with the propose of directing progress and strategies of Korea's ODA projects in the
transport sector. The results derived from this study are expected to assist in the successful implementation of Eurasian initiatives and be used as foundational data to establish research and policy related to South Korea’s ODA.