South Korea's Lee to host Central Asia summit in Seoul next week

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced on Friday that he will host the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia summit next week in Seoul. The gathering will bring together the leaders of five Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The objective of the summit is to deepen economic and strategic ties between South Korea and Central Asia, as well as to bolster cooperation in various sectors, such as trade, investment, energy, critical minerals, and supply chains.

President Lee's announcement came during a televised address ahead of a presidential meeting. Prior to the summit, Lee will engage in individual bilateral talks with each of the Central Asian leaders from September 14 to September 16. This summit will mark the first time leaders from South Korea and the five Central Asian nations convene at a leader-level multilateral level, with the aim of enhancing cooperation across multiple domains.

The New Northern Policy, initiated under former President Moon Jae-in, seeks to strengthen economic, energy, and infrastructure connections with Central Asia and other Eurasian partners.