South Korea to host first summit with Central Asian leaders

President Lee Jae-myung will host the first South Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on the 16th. The summit will include leaders from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. The event aims to elevate cooperation from the ministerial level to a summit-level multilateral framework, focusing on the theme of ‘Partnership for Strengthening Cooperation, Innovation, Prosperity, and Connectivity.’

Key objectives include diversifying global supply chains by linking Central Asian energy and critical minerals with South Korean processing technologies. Other areas of focus include infrastructure, digital industries, AI, and cooperation against transnational crimes such as terrorism and cybercrime. A ‘Seoul Declaration’ is expected to be adopted to outline a long-term vision for this partnership.

In addition to the summit, President Lee is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the five leaders starting on the 14th and attend a business summit with approximately 500 government and corporate officials. This initiative is intended to revitalize the ‘New Northern Policy’ and secure a new economic and cultural silk road connecting to Europe and the Middle East.

This diplomatic push comes as President Lee faces a decline in domestic approval ratings, which recently fell to 38% according to a Gallup poll, driven by concerns over real estate policy and personnel appointments.