South Korea to Host Historic First Leaders’ Summit With Central Asian States

Seoul (GNP): South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has announced that Seoul will host the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit on September 17, marking the first-ever leader-level multilateral meeting between the Republic of Korea and the five Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The summit, confirmed by Seoul’s presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, will build on cooperation that has continued at the ministerial level since the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum was launched in 2007. The gathering is expected to culminate in the adoption of a Seoul Declaration, setting out a long-term framework for partnership between Korea and the region.

Speaking at a meeting with senior aides at the Blue House, President Lee outlined the strategic thinking behind the summit, describing Central Asia as the geographical centre of the Eurasian continent and a region with substantial growth potential owing to its abundant energy and core mineral resources. He said the summit would help cement relations between Korea and Central Asia within a multilateral framework and give fresh momentum to Seoul’s New Northern Policy.

Ahead of the six-way summit, Lee is scheduled to hold separate bilateral meetings with each of the five Central Asian heads of state between September 14 and 16. The leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan will arrive on state visits, while their counterparts from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will make official visits.

The summit’s agenda is expected to span trade and investment, energy resources, critical minerals, supply chain diversification, and infrastructure and plant projects, alongside cooperation on customs, regulations and intellectual property. Looking further ahead, Seoul has signalled its intention to deepen ties in artificial intelligence, digital technology, science, climate response, water management and disaster preparedness over the next three decades.

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Kazakhstan carries particular weight within this framework as South Korea’s largest trading partner and investment destination in Central Asia. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached 3.17 billion US dollars in 2025, while South Korea’s cumulative investment in Kazakhstan has surpassed 10 billion US dollars over the past two decades. Discussions between President Lee and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev are expected to include the Alatau City urban development project.

The summit comes after an earlier planned meeting was postponed amid South Korea’s domestic political turbulence in late 2024, and follows Japan’s own inaugural leaders-level meeting with Central Asia held in December 2025. Once the leaders’ summit concludes, the six heads of state will attend a Korea-Central Asia Business Summit bringing together approximately 500 government and corporate representatives, followed by an official state dinner.

President Lee Jae Myung said Central Asia holds very big potential for growth given its ample energy and core mineral resources.