SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Kazakhstan has given one of its high state honors to South Korea's industry minister, an official who first worked on Kazakh energy projects as a corporate executive.
Ambassador Asset Issenali presented the Order of Dostyk, Second Class, to Kim Jung-kwan, minister of trade, industry and resources, at a Republic Day reception at Lotte Hotel Seoul on Wednesday. He said he was conferring it on behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev "in recognition of his valuable contribution to Kazakh-Korean relations."
Dostyk means friendship in Kazakh. The embassy describes the order as one of Kazakhstan's high state awards, given by the president to people who strengthen friendship and cooperation between Kazakhstan and other countries.
Issenali cited Kim's role as co-chair of the intergovernmental commission on economic ties, saying the minister had made "a significant contribution to strengthening our bilateral economic cooperation and advancing our strategic partnership."
Before joining the cabinet in July 2025, Kim was an executive at Doosan Enerbility, a South Korean power plant builder. The company signed a contract in 2023 with Turkistan LLP, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, to build a 1,000-megawatt power plant in the Shymkent region of southern Kazakhstan.
Kim recalled that period in his acceptance remarks. "Before taking office as minister, I worked in the private sector and took part in building Turkestan power plant project," he said, calling it "one of my most cherished memories."
"I regard this decoration not as a personal honor, but as a tribute to all those who have fostered friendship between our two countries," he said.
Kim said bilateral trade reached $4.4 billion last year, about 400 times the $11 million recorded in 1992, when the two countries established diplomatic relations.
The award came six weeks after President Tokayev's state visit to Seoul in September, when the two governments upgraded ties to a "future-oriented comprehensive strategic partnership." Kim said 84 memorandums of understanding were signed at a business roundtable during the visit.
"It is now time to translate the agreements reached by our leaders into tangible outcomes that benefit our peoples and businesses," he said.
He named energy and critical minerals as the first priority, pointing to a Rare Metals Technology Cooperation Center in Almaty that would combine "Kazakhstan's resources with Korea's advanced technologies." He also cited Kia's automobile plant in Kostanay, which began operating late last year, and Alatau City, a new city near Almaty that President Tokayev's government has given special legal status as a base for artificial intelligence and other future industries.
Issenali, for his part, urged South Korean companies to invest, citing President Tokayev's recent state-of-the-nation address calling for more support for foreign investors. "So it's the right time to do business in Kazakhstan," he said.
Five other South Koreans, including lawmakers Maeng Sung-kyu and Lee Jae-kang, received the same order from President Tokayev in Seoul on Sept. 14.
Next year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 90th anniversary of the arrival of the Koryo-in, ethnic Koreans whom Soviet authorities forcibly relocated from the Russian Far East to Central Asia in 1937. Issenali said more than 120,000 ethnic Koreans now live in Kazakhstan.
"Ninety years ago, the people of Kazakhstan warmly embraced Koreans who put down roots in an unfamiliar land," Kim said, adding that K-Park is scheduled to open in Alatau City next autumn.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
