Korea-Central Asia summit set for Wednesday as first industrial ministers' meeting focuses on critical minerals

President Lee Jae Myung will hold a series of bilateral talks with the leaders of five Central Asian nations — Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan — over three days starting Monday, before chairing the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, a multilateral meeting, on Wednesday.

Cheong Wa Dae Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the schedule in a written briefing Monday, saying the government plans to elevate cooperation with Central Asia — a region of critical resource importance — to the summit level. The goal is to build a sustainable regional partnership covering supply chain stability, market diversification, implementation of the New Northern Policy and responses to transnational crime.

President Lee will first hold a summit with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is visiting South Korea as a state guest, and sign a total of 13 intergovernmental agreements and memoranda of understanding. A state dinner featuring hansik dishes tailored to reflect the culinary traditions of both countries will follow in the evening, with about 50 guests from various sectors in attendance.

Separately, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy hosted the first Korea-Central Asia (C5+1) Industrial Ministers' Meeting at the Westin Chosun Seoul in Jung-gu on Monday, with Minister Kim Jung-kwan and his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in attendance.

It was the first time industrial ministers from South Korea and the five Central Asian nations had gathered to discuss cooperation on industry and critical mineral supply chains. The six ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation around three core areas to jointly respond to the rapidly shifting trade environment and the restructuring of global supply chains.

On trade promotion and industrial infrastructure development, the ministers agreed to move beyond simple goods trade and expand South Korea's participation in projects such as integrated industrial complexes, smart infrastructure and plant modernization that Central Asian countries are pursuing, while improving the overall industrial foundation.

In the critical minerals sector, the two sides plan to deepen full-cycle supply chain cooperation by linking Central Asia's abundant mineral resources — including lithium and rare earth elements — with South Korea's advanced processing and materials technology. Expanding the scope of cooperation to cover joint exploration and development, investment and financing, and processing and materials production is also under discussion.

On technology cooperation and workforce development, the ministers agreed to support the smart transformation of local factories in Central Asia and expand the deployment of South Korean manufacturing equipment and technology in the region. Exchanges between young technical talent from both sides are also planned.

Central Asia holds high strategic value for supply chain diversification given its abundant critical minerals and energy resources. Uzbekistan, a strategically located hub connecting Europe, Asia and the Middle East, is a resource-rich country with more than 100 types of mineral resources, including gold, copper, natural gas and uranium. South Korean companies are involved in more than 700 business and joint venture projects in the country, and South Korea's cumulative investment there has surpassed $8 billion.

Turkmenistan ranks among the world's top four countries by natural gas reserves, while Kazakhstan is Central Asia's largest oil producer, with crude oil reserves ranking around 12th globally. Tajikistan is also considered a mineral-rich nation, with significant deposits of gold, silver and antimony.

Minister Kim Jung-kwan, who chaired the inaugural meeting, said the ministers' gathering aims to "start a journey of cooperation for a greater leap forward, using South Korea's advanced technology and manufacturing capabilities as a catalyst for Central Asia's enormous growth potential." He added that he hopes the industrial ministers' meeting will "take root as a platform for mutual cooperation — one that identifies and builds practical projects that businesses and people in each country can actually feel."