Goo Hyeok-chae (구혁채), first vice minister at South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT, met Asset Isengali, Kazakhstan's ambassador to South Korea, at the government complex in Sejong on Monday to discuss ways to cooperate in science and technology between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to expand cooperation by combining their strengths, taking the first Korea-Central Asia summit in Seoul in September as an opportunity.

Kazakhstan is a country rich in key minerals and energy resources such as oil, uranium and rare earths. Of its total population of about 20.6 million, people under 25 account for 42.8 percent, raising expectations for cooperation in resource and energy technologies and in fostering future talent.

The two sides also discussed a project to establish a Kazakhstan science and technology institute modelled on the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The idea is to develop the institute into a cooperation hub that combines Kazakhstan's resources and talent with South Korea's capabilities in advanced manufacturing and education.

Goo said, "If South Korea's advanced science and technology and experience in fostering talent are combined with Kazakhstan's resources and talent, great synergy will be created," and added, "I hope cooperation in science and technology between the two countries will take a leap forward on the occasion of the Korea-Central Asia summit."