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Kyrgyzstan and South Korea discuss critical minerals, broader cooperation

Photo: Shutterstock, photo editor: Serikzhan Kovlanbayev

On June 12, the inaugural trade and investment cooperation committee meeting between South Korea and Kyrgyzstan was held in Bishkek, the capital of the Central Asian country, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Mederbek Tumanov and South Korea’s Director General for International Trade Relations at the ministry Bae Jun-hyoung discussed prospects for cooperation in critical minerals, bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation, as well as Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to digitalize transport infrastructure and develop its textile industry, Yonhap reported.

Notably, trade turnover between South Korea and Kyrgyzstan totaled around $3.48 billion in 2025, up about 94% from approximately $1.79 billion in 2024, according to Korea Customs Service trade data.

Previously, Kursiv.media reported that South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young — head of the ministry overseeing inter-Korean relations — held talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on advancing dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.

In December 2025, South Korea established the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metals Cooperation Center in Ulaanbaatar.