South Korean President pushes trade diversification and mineral partnership with Central Asia

President Lee Jae Myung used the South Korea-Central Asia Business Summit in Seoul to outline a broader economic partnership with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. While current exchanges centre on Korean auto components and Central Asian energy imports, Lee urged diversification into consumer products, biotechnology, digital technologies and other advanced industries, backed by digital customs platforms and newly created "Korean desks" within each partner government.

He stressed the strategic value of the region's critical minerals—particularly lithium and uranium—to South Korea's battery and semiconductor production, proposing cooperation across the full mineral cycle from exploration to processing. Lee also pledged Korean support for modernising Central Asian infrastructure, such as high-speed rail and power grids. Over 500 officials and business leaders attended, and the summit concluded with 19 memorandums of understanding, including partnerships between Hyundai Motor and LG Electronics. Senior presidential secretary Seong Ghi-hong said the talks aimed to open new market opportunities for Korean firms.