South Korean Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Moon Shin-hak met Isojon Qurbonzoda, Tajikistan's first deputy minister of industry and new technologies, in Seoul to discuss projects that could produce tangible economic outcomes at the upcoming summit.
The two sides discussed creating a regular C5+Korea Industry Ministers' Meeting, bringing together South Korea and the five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. They also discussed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in industry and new technologies and ways to expand exchanges among companies through a Korea-Central Asia Business Summit.
The first Korea-Central Asia Summit is scheduled to be held in South Korea on Sept. 16-17, according to the Foreign Ministry. Seoul has been preparing for the inaugural gathering through a series of senior officials' meetings and established a 17-member private advisory committee covering seven fields. The summit is expected to serve as a platform for South Korea to deepen ties with the five Central Asian states, an increasingly important region for energy, critical minerals, infrastructure and supply-chain cooperation.
Critical minerals were a major focus of Tuesday's meeting. Tajikistan has deposits of gold, silver and antimony, while South Korea is seeking to diversify supplies of minerals needed for its advanced manufacturing industries. The two countries will hold their first Korea-Tajikistan Minerals Forum in Seoul on Wednesday, bringing together government officials, institutions and companies to discuss mineral policies, joint exploration, investment, financing and supply-chain development.
Moon said the forum could connect Tajikistan's resource potential with South Korea's mineral exploration and development technologies and its demand for raw materials. The government hopes the talks will lead to specific projects that can be presented when leaders meet in September.
Economic ties between the two countries remain relatively small but have expanded sharply in recent years. Bilateral trade reached US$354 million in 2025, according to Korea International Trade Association data cited by the Foreign Ministry.
"With their abundant resources and growth potential, Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries are important partners for Korea," Moon said, adding that Seoul would work to turn the discussions into concrete cooperation in industry, supply chains and critical minerals at the September summit.
AJP Takeaways:
- South Korea and Tajikistan are expanding cooperation in critical minerals, supply chains and advanced technologies ahead of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on Sept. 16-17.
- Critical minerals will be a key focus, with the first Korea-Tajikistan Minerals Forum set for Wednesday to explore joint projects in mineral exploration, investment, financing and supply-chain development.
- Seoul is seeking concrete economic outcomes from the September summit, including a possible C5+Korea Industry Ministers' Meeting and stronger business ties with resource-rich Central Asian countries.
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