Seoul: South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called Tuesday for a strategic supply chain with Kazakhstan encompassing energy and critical minerals during a business roundtable meeting held on the sidelines of the first summit between Korea and Central Asian nations. "As President Lee Jae Myung said, critical minerals serve as strategic assets underpinning industry, technology and national security," Han said during the meeting attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other officials and business people from the two countries.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Han emphasized the importance of building on the trust established over decades of stable trade in energy resources, such as crude oil and uranium. She highlighted the need to expand the cooperation between South Korea and Kazakhstan into the realm of critical minerals, including lithium and rare metals, which are essential for future high-tech industries. Han proposed that combining Kazakhstan's abundant resources with South Korea's cutting-edge technologies could lead to the development of a critical minerals industry ecosystem, spanning exploration, processing, and the production of high-value-added materials.

Han further stated that achieving this collaboration would advance Kazakhstan's industrial development and create a mutually beneficial model for responding to uncertainties in the global supply chain. The proposed strategic supply chain initiative is seen as a step toward strengthening economic ties between the two nations and enhancing their capacities to address global supply chain challenges effectively.