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Busan Expands into Central Asia: Trade Mission Dispatched to Pioneer New Markets—Busan SMEs Enter Central Asian Markets

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The Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, Park Heong-joon, and Song Bok-cheol, President of the Busan Economic Promotion Agency (BEPA), announced that the city is taking proactive steps to open new markets in Central Asia in response to the rapidly changing global trade landscape.

Busan Metropolitan City will organize the “2025 Central Asia Trade Mission” and dispatch local SMEs to Almaty, Kazakhstan and Tashkent, Uzbekistan from September 15 to 20. These regions are emerging markets with high demand for both industrial and consumer goods, and are considered strategic hubs for the city.

The 2025 Central Asia Trade Mission will consist of companies offering a comprehensive mix of industrial and consumer goods, reflecting the characteristics of the Central Asian market. Applications are being accepted via the city’s Overseas Marketing Integrated System (trade.bepa.kr) until July 21.

Participating companies will engage in export consultation sessions, buyer matchmaking, one-on-one business meetings, and seminars—programs designed for tangible business outcomes. The city will cover 50% of essential expenses related to these activities, including round-trip airfare.

Busan aims to achieve over 100 consultation sessions and secure contracts worth USD 4.06 million through this dispatch, which represents an 18% increase over the results of last year’s trade mission to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Central Asia presents a highly attractive market. According to the 2025 Overseas Korean Wave Survey, 84.1% of Kazakhstani respondents reported having purchased Korean products or services in the past four years, indicating strong local preference for Korean brands. Uzbekistan, Korea’s largest trading partner in Central Asia, is also expected to see strengthened cooperation through enhanced ties with local buyers.

Meanwhile, ahead of the scheduled end of the U.S. reciprocal tariff exemption on July 9 (Korea Standard Time), the city convened an emergency Export Crisis Response Review Meeting with related institutions and exporters to discuss concerns over the potential impact of the U.S. tariffs and to formulate responsive measures.

During the meeting, participants stressed the need to expand support for new market development. The Central Asia trade mission is a follow-up action to that proposal. In response to the rise of protectionism and global supply chain restructuring, the city is continuing to promote market diversification policies focused on strategic regions to reduce dependence on U.S. exports and mitigate export-related risks for local businesses.

This trade mission is part of the city’s broader policy strategy to diversify export channels and establish a foothold for securing new overseas demand in the mid- to long-term.

Kim Bong-cheol, Assistant Mayor of the Digital Economy Office, stated, “As the global trade environment undergoes rapid changes and uncertainty increases, it is more important than ever for the city to act as a bridge to help Busan’s exporters reduce reliance on existing markets and connect with diverse global customers. We will continue to actively support effective overseas market development.”