Source: 카자흐, '알라타우 시티' 헌법상 특별지위 추진…韓 기업 1순위 파트너로

Kazakhstan held its first investment roadshow for the Alatau City project in Seoul on October 15, highlighting plans to grant the city special constitutional status and accelerate the participation of Korean companies as priority partners. Alatau City, designed as a “Central Asian Singapore,” is already designated as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and the government plans to ensure long-term stability for this national project through constitutional recognition.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bozumbayev Kanat announced incentives for foreign investors, including exemptions from corporate, land, and property taxes, simplified land allocation procedures, and a 0% VAT rate for goods sold within the city. The project spans approximately 880 km² north of Almaty, about 1.14 times the size of Busan, with an estimated investment of KRW 25 trillion. Alatau City aims to accommodate up to 1.9 million residents and create 1.1 million jobs across finance, industry, logistics, tourism, education, culture, and leisure sectors.

Development is planned in phases until 2048, starting with a 440-hectare specialized district covering financial, industrial, tourism, and educational functions. The city is managed by an operations committee led by the Prime Minister, with the government overseeing all stages of development as a national strategic project.

Key Korean partners, including Tskhay Yuriy of Caspian Group and Kim Vyacheslav of Alatau City Bank & Kaspi Bank, emphasized Korea as the top partner for investment and collaboration. Plans for K-Park, a complex honoring Korean heritage and culture while serving as a hub for K-culture, K-food, and business, were also announced.

The roadshow included government-to-government (G2G) and government-to-business (G2B) MOUs to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including agreements between the Kazakh Ministry of Transport and Korea Airports Corporation (KAC), the Kazakh Ministry of Energy and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and Almaty Akimat and RETD.