Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited Qatar on June 15, 2026, following his June 13–14 visit to Saudi Arabia. The visit was part of his three-country trip to the Middle East to help stabilize crude oil and gas supplies and strengthen economic and trade cooperation amid the conflict in the region. Qatar is Korea’s third-largest LNG supplier. During the April visit to Qatar by the Presidential Special Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, assured Korea that Qatar would supply LNG without disruption once the Strait of Hormuz returned to normal operations. Minister Kim’s visit was arranged to reaffirm Qatar’s commitment to giving Korea top priority for LNG supplies and to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation into advanced industries.

Minister Kim visited QatarEnergy headquarters and met with H.E. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy. Minister Al-Kaabi oversees Qatar’s energy policy, including oil and gas resource development and LNG contracts. At the meeting, Minister Kim received a briefing on LNG production facilities and operating conditions at Ras Laffan Industrial City after four force majeure declarations were made following the outbreak of the war in the Middle East. The two sides then discussed cooperation on the gas supply chain amid geopolitical instability in the region.

Building on strong mutual trust between the two countries, Minister Kim confirmed Qatar’s unchanged position that it would give Korea top priority for LNG and condensate supplies. He also asked Minister Al-Kaabi to give due consideration to Korean companies with strong technical capabilities and support their participation as new energy plant projects are expected to move forward in earnest once the war ends.

On the same day, Minister Kim met with H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry. The two sides agreed to broaden bilateral cooperation beyond energy into shipbuilding, advanced industries, and other areas. They also discussed cooperation on attracting Qatari investment to Korea’s advanced industries, including AI, biotechnology, and robotics. To strengthen the strategic partnership, the two sides agreed to hold the Korea–Qatar High-Level Strategic Cooperation Committee in Doha at an early date and use the government-wide ministerial channel to make timely progress on specific cooperation projects.

“At a time of growing uncertainty in the global landscape, the solid trust and cooperation Korea and Qatar have built are important for reliable energy supplies and resilient global supply chains,” Minister Kim said. “I hope the two countries will build on stable LNG supplies to strengthen energy security, broaden cooperation in future growth areas, including advanced industries and investment cooperation, and continue high-level communication to advance the bilateral partnership.”