Otieno, Willingtone Ouma2025-04-072025-04-072024-07https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/29922A Research Thesis Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy of Kenyatta University, July, 2024 Supervisors: 1.Pius Kakai 2.Peter WafulaThe emergence of new international economic giants such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea, has impelled Kenya to reframe her diplomatic connections on the global arena. Since 2016, there has been a bid to reestablish Kenya-South Korea diplomatic relations in order to increase cooperation and collaboration between the two countries. It is noted that irrespective of the fact that the two nations signed diplomatic relations in 1964, the relations are yet to be fully realized. The study examines how Kenya’s relations with South Korea was like in the Jomo Kenyatta era, 1963 – 1978. It interrogates dynamics of Kenya’s diplomatic relations with South Korea in the Moi era, 1978 -2002 and further examines how Kenya-South Korea diplomatic relations progressed in the Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta eras, 2003 – 2016. The study employed the realism theory which assumes that the notion of national interest is all about desire for power, and that power is the essential compass that guides political realism through the complex terrain of international relations. It also made reference to the international regime theory which is a collection of common expectations; norms and principles; plans; and financial and organizational commitments that a number of countries agreed to. The study adopted descriptive and explorative research designs. The main primary sources of data were interviews, archival data from the Kenya National Archives and the Kenya foreign policy documents. Secondary data was generated through critical textual analysis of books, published reports, magazines, dissertations and journals. The findings revealed that Kenya’s desire to position herself on the global stage for economic growth, prestige and reputation; Korean Question and; USA global influence defined Kenya-South Korea diplomatic relations from 1964-1978. Also, findings indicated that Kenya’s diplomatic trend was cautious while South Korea adopted a more radical revolutionary ideology prioritizing economic growth (self-reliance) and modernization. Further, the study indicated that the Moi era was characterized by high-level visits which saw President Chu Doo-Hwan of South Korea visiting Kenya and later in 1991, president Moi visited South Korea. Findings of this research provide helpful information on how the relations between the two countries has been since 1964 to 2016 and maybe useful for the formulation of better foreign policies for use by both the two countries in upscaling their influence across the globe. Additionally, the study is important in the sense that it adds to the body of knowledge for the academicians, and may acts as a guide for researchers and policymakersenThesis