President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Central Asia tour focused on boosting economic ties with resource-rich countries as part of his diplomatic push to secure critical minerals and energy supplies amid global supply chain uncertainties.
Yoon wrapped up a weeklong trip to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Saturday, as Korea seeks deeper engagement with the strategically significant region rich in vital resources essential for cutting-edge chip and battery industries.
The state visits followed the first-ever Korea-Africa summit held last week, which focused on forging critical mineral partnerships in the region.
During his first trip to Central Asia since taking office in May 2022, Yoon introduced the “K-Silk Road” initiative, centered on creating a new cooperation model by linking Korea’s innovative capabilities with Central Asia’s abundant resources and development potential.
Korea, home to Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and major battery makers, aims to diversify its import portfolio of key industrial materials to reduce its reliance on a limited set of countries, including China.
Korea, the world’s fourth-largest buyer of crude oil and natural gas, has also been seeking to enhance energy security amid growing geopolitical risks that weigh on the global supply chain.
At the top of the agenda was forging partnerships on the critical mineral supply chain.
Korea signed a bilateral critical minerals supply chain partnership each with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, paving the way for comprehensive cooperation, from joint exploration to the final use of these minerals.
Kazakhstan is the largest oil producer in Central Asia and a major gas producer, with the largest proven oil reserves in the Caspian Sea region. Turkmenistan’s natural gas reserve ranks fourth in the world, while Uzbekistan’s subsoil is rich in oil, natural gas, coal and uranium.
During the trip, Korean companies finalized major infrastructure deals.
Korean railway manufacturer Hyundai Rotem inked a $200 million deal to supply six high-speed trains to Uzbekistan Railways, the first export of high-speed trains developed using Korean technology.
In Turkmenistan, Hyundai Engineering signed two agreements with state-run companies to build a desulfurization facility and 카지노 resume operations at a chemical plant. Daewoo Engineering & Construction is bidding for a contract to build two fertilizer plants.
These contracts are estimated to be worth approximately $6 billion, according to Park Chun-sup, senior secretary for economic affairs.
Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said the summit diplomacy laid the groundwork for building mid- and long-term relationships by broadening the scope of cooperation.
“While Korea has mainly focused on energy and mineral development as well as infrastructure construction, efforts have been made recently to integrate resource, energy and infrastructure cooperation with green initiatives and atomic energy to address climate change,” Kim said in a briefing Friday.