Early encounters and rivalry to reach out to the region -- The oil boom-induced construction bonanza and export markets -- Coping with crisis : the South's loss is the North's gain -- Business as usual in the era of transition and uncertainty -- The pinnacle of gains in the midst of rising new...

The 1980s : marking a watershed in Sino-Iranian ties -- Under eminences grises : vowing perpetual partnership -- Same talks, contrasting connotations : civilizational nuances -- Principlism engages pragmatism : failures and frictions -- A new era : toward strategic equilibrium -- Conclusion

On July 14, 2015, when Iran and the 5+1 group (the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany) ultimately agreed over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Republic of Korea (ROK) was practically one of the top three trade partners of the Persian Gulf country. In...