South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have agreed to enhance cooperation in the exploration and development of critical minerals during Yoon's state visit to Kazakhstan. This move aims to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations. The leaders signed a document to establish a critical minerals supply chain between South Korea and Kazakhstan, leveraging South Korea's expertise in automotive and battery manufacturing and Kazakhstan's rich mineral resources such as uranium, chrome, titanium, and bismuth. This agreement also prioritizes South Korean firms in mineral development and commercialization projects in Kazakh mines. Additionally, the two countries signed memoranda of understanding in the energy sector, including promoting renewable energy use, refurbishing old power plants, and initiating a new oil and gas project in Kazakhstan. The summit also saw discussions on various areas of cooperation such as knowledge sharing, science, technology, forestry, human resource management, banking supervision, and emissions reduction. Yoon sought support for the K-Silk Road initiative and emphasized Kazakhstan's backing for a free, peaceful, and unified Korean Peninsula, while condemning North Korea's military provocations and nuclear missile development. Yoon's visit to Kazakhstan is part of his state visits to three Central Asian countries, and he expressed the intention to strengthen the strategic partnership with Kazakhstan, home to a significant population of ethnic Koreans from the former Soviet Union.