South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo is working to expand economic cooperation with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in the areas of critical mineral supply chains, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy infrastructure.
On September 15, Prime Minister Han attended a series of business events featuring leaders and business representatives from the three Central Asian countries, who were in South Korea for the first Korea-Central Asia Summit. The aim is to identify practical cooperation projects by integrating South Korea's advanced technology and industrial capabilities with the abundant resources and growth potential of Central Asia.
At the 'Korea-Kazakhstan Business Roundtable' held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, Han outlined three key areas for cooperation: establishing a strategic supply chain encompassing critical minerals and energy, leading future industries through AI and digital transformation, and expanding an innovation ecosystem driven by youth and future talent.
He stated, "By combining Kazakhstan's rich resources with South Korea's advanced technology, we can build a critical mineral industry ecosystem that leads to exploration, refining, and the creation of high-value materials." He also proposed broadening the scope of cooperation to include smart factories, smart cities, and AI administration, as well as increasing talent exchanges for joint research and development (R&D) and startup creation.
Following this, at the 'Korea-Uzbekistan Business Forum' held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Han presented the AI transformation of manufacturing and cooperation in critical minerals as new growth engines for both economies.
He remarked, "Let’s innovate the manufacturing sector with AI and digital technology while also nurturing skilled professionals and expanding our collaboration." He proposed combining Uzbekistan's tungsten, molybdenum, and lithium resources with South Korea's mineral processing and material technology to establish a stable critical mineral supply chain.
During the forum, five agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were exchanged, covering critical mineral development, the establishment of a strategic mineral supply chain hub, AI and digital technology cooperation, the creation of a Korea-Uzbekistan joint fund, and a development cooperation program for 2027-2029.
In the afternoon, Han attended the 'Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum' at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul, where he proposed three areas for cooperation: expanding energy infrastructure and plant collaboration, strengthening cooperation in shipbuilding, transportation, and logistics, and jointly nurturing future key talent.
He noted that South Korean companies have participated in major projects such as the Kiyanly Gas Chemical Plant and the Turkmenabat Phosphate Fertilizer Plant, suggesting that the scope of cooperation be broadened to include petrochemicals and water industries. He highlighted that Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has shown significant interest in the water industry.
Han also proposed expanding cooperation that began with cargo shipbuilding to include the modernization of Caspian Sea ports, eco-friendly transportation, and smart logistics, integrating South Korea's digital technology into smart city development. This aims to support Turkmenistan's emergence as a logistics hub in Eurasia.
He emphasized the importance of expanding university exchanges, technical education, and on-site training to enable Turkmen youth to operate local infrastructure built by South Korean companies.
Han concluded by stating that economic cooperation with Central Asian countries is rapidly expanding, affirming, "The South Korean government will fully support the cooperation between our countries and the new challenges faced by our business leaders."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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