Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted an invitation to visit Seoul in September for the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia summit after meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's special envoy Kang Hoon Shik, Qazinform reported April 8. Senior Kazakh and South Korean officials also held talks on expanding joint projects in the energy, industry, transport and logistics sectors, as well as possible South Korean participation in Kazakhstan's oil and gas, mining, metals and nuclear energy sectors.

Stronger ties with South Korea align with Kazakhstan's broader efforts to diversify its external partners and attract capital and technology without overreliance on any single power. South Korea is already Kazakhstan's fifth-largest import partner. The outreach also aligns with Seoul's broader effort to reduce vulnerability to Middle East supply disruptions by expanding alternative energy, minerals and industrial partnerships.