Kazakhstan and South Korea discuss doubling trade during Tokayev visit
During an official visit to Seoul, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed doubling bilateral trade turnover and unveiled a new 2027-2030 economic roadmap.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed doubling bilateral trade turnover between Kazakhstan and South Korea, unveiling sweeping plans to reshape economic ties during an official visit to Seoul on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. Reported by Qazinform, the visit brings together senior officials from both nations to anchor strategic frameworks through the end of the decade.
The core of the new economic strategy involves formalizing structured bilateral planning. According to Trend, President Tokayev formally proposed developing a Comprehensive Program for Trade, Economic, and Investment Cooperation slated for 2027–2030. Alongside this framework, the Kazakh leader called for a specialized Roadmap for industrial cooperation aimed at localizing manufacturing capabilities and facilitating exports to third-party markets. These initiatives build upon an existing commercial footprint that already features more than a thousand joint ventures involving Korean capital operating within Kazakhstan, keeping the Republic of Korea firmly entrenched among the nation's top ten trading and investment partners.
Media additions
During high-level talks in Seoul, Tokayev met with South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, who welcomed the ambitious targets. As reported by Qazinform, Prime Minister Han emphasized that Seoul views Kazakhstan as its largest and most vital trade and investment partner across Central Asia. Beyond traditional commodity trade, the Prime Minister singled out energy supply chains and infrastructure as key areas for synergy, highlighting South Korea's potential to act as a robust partner in implementing the Alatau City development project. Both administrations also discussed joint ventures spanning transport and logistics, critical materials, the automotive sector, healthcare, and digitalization.
Institutional and cultural ties are evolving in tandem with commercial ambitions. The Archive of the President of Kazakhstan and the National Archives of Korea used the presidential visit to sign a fresh memorandum of cooperation on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, as detailed by Jen. Marking the tenth anniversary of their formal partnership, the agreement expands professional exchanges, training programs, and joint research. Kazakh Presidential Archive Director Aliya Mustafina noted that her institution looks to South Korea—widely recognized as a global leader in e-government and digital infrastructure—to help introduce advanced technological solutions, electronic document management, and artificial intelligence into Kazakhstan's archival systems.
| Bilateral Partnership Focus | Proposed Framework / Mechanism | Key Target Sectors |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan – South Korea (September 2026) | 2027–2030 Comprehensive Program & Industrial Roadmap | Trade turnover doubling, AI, critical materials, Alatau City |
| Kazakhstan – Israel (April 2026) | Abraham Accords alignment & high-tech agreements | Digitalization, artificial intelligence, double taxation elimination |
| Kazakhstan – Uzbekistan (April 2026) | Bukhara Presidential Summit & Regional Tandem | $10B trade target, rare earths, green energy, Clean Air initiative |
Whether these bilateral frameworks will successfully navigate complex macroeconomic hurdles remains to be tested by implementation timelines on the ground, with upcoming talks between President Tokayev and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expected to mark a new milestone in the history of Kazakh-Korean relations.
