South Korea, Central Asian nations hold first industry ministers' meeting to build critical minerals supply chain

South Korea is deepening industrial and critical minerals cooperation with five resource-rich Central Asian nations. The government plans to build a full-cycle supply chain — spanning exploration and development through processing and materials production — while supporting the smart transformation of local industrial infrastructure.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it hosted the first Korea-Central Asia (C5+1) Industry Ministers' Meeting on Monday at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, with Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in attendance.

It was the first time industry ministers from South Korea and the five Central Asian countries had gathered to discuss cooperation on industrial and critical minerals supply chains. The six ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation around three core areas to jointly respond to rapidly shifting trade conditions and the restructuring of global supply chains.

On trade promotion and industrial infrastructure upgrading, the ministers agreed to move beyond simple goods trade and expand Korea's participation in projects each Central Asian country is pursuing — including integrated industrial complex development, smart infrastructure and plant modernization — with the aim of improving the overall industrial foundation.

In the critical minerals sector, the two sides plan to deepen full-cycle supply chain cooperation by linking Central Asia's abundant mineral resources — including lithium and rare earths — with Korea's advanced processing and materials technology. Expanding the scope of cooperation to cover joint exploration and development, investment and financing, and processing and materials production is under discussion.

On technology cooperation and talent development, the ministers agreed to support the smart upgrading of local factories in Central Asia and to expand the entry of Korean manufacturing equipment and technology into the region. Exchanges between young technical talent from both sides are also set to be promoted.

Central Asia holds significant strategic value for supply chain diversification given its abundant critical minerals and energy resources. Uzbekistan, a strategically located hub connecting Europe, Asia and the Middle East, holds more than 100 types of mineral resources, including gold, copper, natural gas and uranium. Korean companies are pursuing more than 700 business and joint-venture projects there, and Korea's cumulative investment has surpassed $8 billion.

Turkmenistan ranks among the world's top four countries by natural gas reserves, while Kazakhstan is Central Asia's largest oil producer, with crude oil reserves ranking around 12th globally. Tajikistan is also recognized as a resource-rich country with abundant mineral deposits including gold, silver and antimony.

Kim, who chaired the inaugural meeting, said Korea aims "to begin a journey of cooperation for a greater leap forward, using Korea's advanced technology and manufacturing capabilities as a catalyst for Central Asia's enormous growth potential." He added that he hopes the industry ministers' meeting "will take root as a platform for mutual cooperation — one that identifies and builds practical projects that businesses and citizens in each country can actually feel."