0
President Lee Jae-myung enters a meeting with senior secretaries and aides at Cheong Wa Dae on the 11th. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung will preside over the First Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on the 16th.

This marks the first time the South Korean government is hosting a multilateral summit with Central Asian nations.

Senior Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the schedule during a written briefing on the 11th.

Regarding the multilateral summit, Senior Spokesperson Kang said, "Amid an uncertain international situation, this will serve as an important starting point to broaden our diplomatic horizons toward Central Asia, a region growing in strategic importance."

The theme of the summit is "Directions for Korea-Central Asia Cooperation and Partnerships to Enhance Innovation, Prosperity, and Connectivity."

To attend the summit, leaders of three nations—Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan—will pay state visits to South Korea, while leaders of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will make official visits. President Lee will also hold bilateral summits with the five leaders over three days starting on the 14th.

Through this meeting, the government plans to elevate the cooperative framework—which had been maintained at the ministerial level since the launch of the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in 2007—to the summit level, and establish a sustainable multilateral cooperation system via a mid- to long-term cooperation vision dubbed the "Seoul Declaration."

Senior Spokesperson Kang stated, "Through the Korea-Central Asia Summit and bilateral meetings, President Lee will link Central Asia's rich critical mineral and energy resources with South Korea's exploration and processing technologies to diversify global supply chains. Furthermore, through customized cooperation tailored to each nation across infrastructure, plant projects, customs, regulations, and intellectual property rights, the government will expand local market entry and contract opportunities for Korean businesses."

In addition, the government plans to secure the support of Central Asian nations on Korean Peninsula affairs and strengthen joint cooperation against transnational crimes, including terrorism, narcotics, and cybercrime.

The vision also entails broadening Korea-Central Asia cooperation—previously centered on natural resources and infrastructure—into high-tech and eco-friendly sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies, science and technology, climate change response, water resource management, and disaster response, thereby laying a new foundation for growth looking ahead to the next 30 years.

Following the summit, President Lee will host the Korea-Central Asia Business Summit alongside an official banquet with the five Central Asian leaders.

Senior Spokesperson Kang added, "Through this summit, the government will elevate cooperation with Central Asia to a new level across all areas, including supply chains, future industries, and people-to-people exchanges, translating this momentum into tangible outcomes for realizing the New Northern Policy and diversifying our diplomacy."

                                                                                                             Hong Sun-mi