South Korea, Central Asia launch inaugural summit with focus on critical minerals
South Korea and five Central Asian nations held their first multilateral summit, agreeing to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, energy and supply chains.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted the country's first summit with the leaders of five Central Asian states on Wednesday, placing critical minerals, energy and supply-chain cooperation at the heart of efforts to strengthen ties with the resource-rich region.
The meeting brought together the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, concluding three days of bilateral talks that yielded more than 70 agreements and memorandums of understanding across energy, mining, infrastructure, technology and investment.
Addressing a business forum after the summit, Lee said Seoul aimed to move beyond resource imports toward deeper industrial partnerships. "Beyond simple raw materials trade, we must strengthen cooperation across the entire critical minerals value chain, from exploration and refining to high-value materials processing and finished-product manufacturing," he said.
Lee added that South Korea would support these efforts through South Korean-led rare metals centres in Central Asia, intended to promote joint research and workforce training.
The summit represents a new phase in Seoul's engagement with Central Asia. As a resource-poor country, South Korea is seeking to diversify supplies of crude oil, uranium and other strategic minerals while expanding opportunities for its companies.
The gathering established a framework for regular biennial leaders' summits, with Kazakhstan set to host the next meeting in Astana in 2028.
South Korea and Kazakhstan signed agreements this week covering nuclear energy, crude oil and critical minerals, and upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Meetings with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also produced accords on strategic minerals, energy, infrastructure, trade, investment and digital technologies.
At the business forum, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won pointed to opportunities for expanded cooperation. "We will expand critical minerals cooperation beyond simple development to encompass the entire supply chain, from refining to materials production," he said. Chey also called for stronger collaboration in renewable energy and nuclear power.
South Korea has pursued deeper economic ties with Central Asia and other Eurasian partners under its New Northern Policy launched in 2017, aiming to diversify energy and strategic mineral supplies while creating new opportunities for South Korean companies.