In Seoul, a meeting took place between the Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, Marat Karabaev, and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, Sang Woo Park.
The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of transport infrastructure, as well as the implementation of several projects aimed at developing transport routes. The possibility of increasing direct flights from Kazakhstan to South Korea was also raised. Currently, there are 14 passenger and 6 cargo flights per week between the countries, primarily operating from Astana and Almaty. There are plans to launch direct flights from Shymkent to South Korea.
Transport Minister Marat Karabaev invited the South Korean delegation, led by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to visit Kazakhstan for a working visit at their convenience. It is expected that during the reciprocal visit, the parties will exchange experiences in the field of Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
The concept of implementing urban air mobility aims to create a safe and efficient air transport system along with other aviation technologies. This would revolutionize the ways of moving people and transporting goods/products between major cities and regions by air, as well as within the cities themselves.
The concept is expected to be initially tested in the new city of Alatau City. The project will support the development of Alatau City as an innovative hub and attract investors from both Kazakhstan and Korea. As part of the implementation of the concept, collaboration with leading South Korean companies, such as Hyundai Motor Group, is planned.
Following the meeting, the heads of the transport departments of Kazakhstan and Korea expressed their readiness to further deepen cooperation in the field of transport logistics and interaction, which contributes to strengthening the strategic partnership between the countries.