South Korea and Central Asian nations have created a joint ministerial platform aimed at expanding trade, technology transfer and manufacturing partnerships across the region.

The inaugural meeting took place in Seoul on 14 September under the banner “Future Cooperation between Korea and Central Asia for Growth and Innovation”. Organised ahead of the upcoming “Central Asia – Republic of Korea” Summit, the session brought together Kim Jung-kwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources of the Republic of Korea, and Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, alongside senior officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Delegates signed a joint memorandum on industrial supply chains and formally adopted the Joint Statement of the Consultative Mechanism of Industry Ministers. Bilateral discussions between Mr Kudratov and Mr Kim yielded further accords, including a dedicated Uzbekistan-Korea platform for the exploration and extraction of critical mineral resources.

The technological focus centred on introducing artificial intelligence into manufacturing processes, training technical personnel and securing critical raw materials. Key practical targets include automated quality management, predictive equipment maintenance, industrial data analytics and energy conservation schemes.

Economic links between the regions have grown rapidly in recent years. Trade turnover between Uzbekistan, neighbouring Central Asian states and South Korea surpassed USD 10 billion in 2025, reflecting a 10 per cent year-on-year increase. Growth accelerated further between January and July of this year, reaching USD 6.5 billion, which represents a 25 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2025. Over 3,000 businesses backed by Korean and regional capital currently operate in Uzbekistan.

To build on this foundation, the Uzbek delegation proposed setting up a digital platform for industrial projects, removing technical trade barriers and establishing a deputy-ministerial expert group. These proposals secured full backing from South Korean representatives.

The new consultative body will run alongside political discussions to help local companies connect directly with Korean technology partners.