Korea, Qatar to collaborate on renewable energy and shipbuilding

Korea and Qatar reaffirmed their energy partnership, focusing on LNG supplies and expanding collaboration in renewables, hydrogen, and shipbuilding during a Seoul meeting between their trade ministers.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, holds talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Oct. 25, 2023. [YONHAP]

Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ahn Duk-geun, and Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, agreed to continue to work closely on ensuring stable supplies of energy and expand their ties in a wide range of energy and shipbuilding sectors during a meeting in Seoul, on Monday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Qatar is Korea's No. 2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier, accounting for 19.5 percent of Seoul's total LNG imports.

The two sides also discussed deepening the countries' relations in the plant and LNG carrier fields and vowed to expand ties into a wide range of sectors, such as renewable energy and hydrogen.

Ahn explained Korea's Carbon-Free Energy initiative and sought ways to cooperate with Qatar on the matter, the ministry said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol proposed the initiative during his keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly last year, calling for carbon-free energy resources to achieve carbon neutrality.

Yonhap