Astana Motors and the Almaty Museum of Arts, founded by Nurlan Smagulov, have signed cooperation agreements with Korean partners in Seoul. The documents were signed during the first Central Asia - Republic of Korea Summit, held as part of the visit of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Republic of Korea. 

Four of the agreements cover the development of the automotive industry and the production of components in Kazakhstan, with total investment of $78.3 million.

Production of the fifth-generation Hyundai Tucson will begin in Kazakhstan in December 2027 at the Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan plant in Almaty. Astana Motors and Hyundai Motor Company signed the agreement to localise production of the new model. Investment will total $67 million. The vehicle will be produced using complete knock-down (CKD) production, including body welding and painting.

Astana Motors and Youngsan Glonet Corporation will localise the production of automotive seat upholstery and exhaust system components, including mufflers. Investment is estimated at $4.7 million. The project will be implemented by Almaty Autoparts Production, located in the Astana Motors Technopark in the Almaty Industrial Zone. Seat upholstery production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by muffler production in the first quarter of 2027.

Astana Motors and THN Corporation will invest $4.6 million in the production of automotive wiring harnesses at Kazakhstan Wire Systems. Annual capacity will be 100,000 sets, with production scheduled to start in December 2026. The first products will be supplied for the Kia Sportage and, from 2027, for the Hyundai Tucson.

Astana Motors and MOTREX will invest approximately $2 million in automotive floor covering production at Kazakhstan Mobility Engineering in the Astana Motors Technopark. Annual capacity will be 100,000 sets, with production scheduled to start in December 2027.

The fifth document concerns cooperation in the field of culture. The Almaty Museum of Arts and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) signed a memorandum on a long-term partnership. Their first joint exhibition will be held in Almaty in September 2027 to coincide with the state visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to Kazakhstan.
Support for the projects is provided by Kazakhstan's Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Construction, the Foreign Ministry's Investment Committee and the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea.