Korea puts critical minerals at forefront of CA summit

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 17, 2026

President Lee Jae Myung hosted the first-ever summit in Seoul with the leaders of five Central Asian countries, resulting in over 70 agreements on critical minerals, energy, and supply chains. This historic meeting signals South Korea’s strategic effort to diversify resource supplies and deepen economic partnerships in the region, with plans for regular biennial summits and the creation of Korean-led rare metals centers in Central Asia.

Republic of Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung convened the country’s inaugural summit with the leaders of five Central Asian nations on September 16, focusing on cooperation in critical minerals, energy, and supply chains. The meeting, held in Seoul, brought together the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, concluding a series of bilateral discussions that yielded over 70 agreements and memorandums of understanding across sectors including energy, mining, infrastructure, technology, and investment.

Addressing a business forum following the summit, President Lee emphasized Korea’s ambition to deepen collaboration beyond basic resource imports. He outlined a vision to strengthen partnerships spanning the entire critical minerals value chain—from exploration and refining to high-value materials processing and finished-product manufacturing. To support this, Seoul plans to establish Korean-led rare metals centers in Central Asia dedicated to joint research and workforce development.

The summit represents a strategic shift in Korea’s engagement with the resource-rich Central Asian region, reflecting its intent to diversify supplies of crude oil, uranium, and other strategic minerals. It also aims to expand economic opportunities for Korean enterprises in the region. The leaders agreed to institute regular biennial summits, with Kazakhstan slated to host the next meeting in Astana in 2028.

During the summit, Korea and Kazakhstan upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. They signed agreements covering nuclear energy, crude oil, and critical minerals. Similar accords were concluded with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, encompassing strategic minerals, energy infrastructure, trade, investment, and digital technologies.

At the business forum, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won highlighted the potential to broaden cooperation across the supply chain, from refining to materials production. He also advocated for enhanced collaboration in renewable energy and nuclear power sectors, aligning with Korea’s broader energy transition goals.

Korea’s engagement with Central Asia forms part of its New Northern Policy, launched in 2017, which seeks to diversify energy and strategic mineral supplies while fostering new avenues for Korean businesses. This inaugural summit marks a significant milestone in that policy’s implementation, signaling stronger ties and expanded cooperation across the Eurasian region.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.