South Korea to Deepen Ties with Central Asia in Historic Summit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced plans to host the first South Korea-Central Asia summit, aiming to bolster economic and strategic ties with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The summit targets cooperation in trade, energy, and supply chains under Seoul's New Northern Policy.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced on Friday the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia summit set for next week. Leaders from five Central Asian countries will convene in Seoul to strengthen economic and strategic relations with the resource-rich region.

In televised remarks, Lee emphasized the summit will consolidate relations into a leader-level multilateral framework, enhancing the New Northern Policy's momentum. The presidential Blue House confirmed Lee will host Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan leaders for discussions on expanding cooperation.

Bilateral meetings will precede the joint summit scheduled from September 14 to September 16. The dialogue will focus on trade, investment, energy, critical minerals, and supply chains, as revealed by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.