South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s week-long tour to the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan sought to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals and create new opportunities for South Korean companies.

However, experts warn that South Korea faces significant risks as it attempts to diversify its supply chains in the region, including political instability, inadequate infrastructure and limited technical expertise.

NAVIGATING ECONOMIC DEPENDENCIES

South Korea’s economy thrives on global supply chains, with imports fueling its manufacturing sector for export. However, escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China have prompted South Korea to reassess its economic dependencies. China remains