The main purpose of the forum is to deepen economic ties and create new opportunities for cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea.
The Korean Importers Association (KOIMA - Korea Importers Association) was founded in 1970 and today is the largest association in South Korea, uniting importers of various industries. KOIMA maintains and develops Korea's trade relations with foreign countries, especially in the field of imports of goods and services. The organization actively promotes the expansion and diversification of supplies, helps Korean companies find new suppliers around the world.
The speakers were Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shohrukh Gulamov, Chairman of the Korean Importers Association Kim Beng Kwan, as well as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Uzbekistan Won Do Yong, who stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral ties and expressed commitment to further strengthening multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.
There has been an increase in trade turnover between our countries over the past seven years by more than 2 times from $1.4 billion in 2017 to $2.34 billion in 2023. Moreover, the number of enterprises with the participation of Korean capital in Uzbekistan increased from 359 in 2019 to 670 in 2024. The volume of direct Korean investments in Uzbekistan exceeded $7.3 billion. Together with South Korean companies, 60 investment projects totaling $8.8 billion are being implemented in Uzbekistan.
During the main part, the participants discussed the prospects for cooperation in the chemical, food and textile industries. For the first time, the entrepreneurs of the two countries jointly reviewed the conclusions and recommendations of marketing research. In particular, opportunities were identified to increase exports from Uzbekistan to South Korea of textile and leather products ($284 million), chemical products ($200 million), non-ferrous metals ($200 million), food ($153 million) and other goods.
The event ended with a ceremony of signing bilateral documents and B2B negotiations, during which specific projects and potential investment opportunities were discussed.
