South Korea, Kyrgyzstan agree to upgrade ties, open KOTRA office in Bishkek

President Lee Jae Myung met with Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday and agreed to elevate the two countries' "comprehensive partnership" to a new level. The two sides agreed to open a KOTRA trade office and a Korea Desk in the Kyrgyz capital, and signed 18 agreements and MOUs spanning trade, infrastructure and critical minerals.

Seong Ki-hong, the presidential communications secretary, said in a written briefing that Lee held the summit with Japarov — who is visiting South Korea on the sidelines of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit — and that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on expanding practical cooperation.

Lee noted that Japarov's first official visit to South Korea in December 2024 had been disrupted by the country's political situation at the time, and said it was meaningful to welcome him back now that South Korea had restored its constitutional order through the will and courage of its people. Japarov responded by expressing confidence in South Korea's mature democracy and dynamic development, and said Kyrgyzstan was ready to advance cooperation with Seoul.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation across a broad range of areas under the comprehensive partnership framework, including trade and investment, critical minerals, urban development and infrastructure, development cooperation, food security, public administration, law enforcement and disaster response, AI, climate and the environment, and people-to-people, cultural and educational exchanges.

The two sides agreed to significantly expand business support mechanisms to keep pace with rapidly growing bilateral trade. They agreed to establish a KOTRA trade office in Bishkek and set up a Korea Desk within the State Agency for Investments under the President of Kyrgyzstan. Customs cooperation to improve clearance transparency and stronger intellectual property protections are also planned. The two countries also agreed to accelerate the entry of K-food and K-beauty companies into Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia through mutual recognition of halal certification.

Cooperation on infrastructure and critical minerals also took shape. Lee identified Kyrgyzstan's infrastructure needs — driven by its rapid growth — as a flagship area for mutually beneficial cooperation, and welcomed the groundwork laid at the summit for collaboration on urban planning, public-private partnership projects and smart-grid development. The two leaders also agreed to jointly identify promising cooperation projects in critical minerals by leveraging each country's complementary strengths.

The two sides fleshed out plans for law enforcement, disaster response and future-oriented cooperation. They agreed to strengthen joint investigations into transnational crime, expand police education cooperation, share experience in natural disaster response, and work together on AI and on addressing cross-border environmental and climate challenges in Central Asia.

On the Korean Peninsula and international affairs, Lee congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its election to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for 2027–2028 and thanked the country for its support of South Korea's North Korea policy. Japarov praised South Korea's contributions to the international community and expressed support for promoting peace and prosperity in the region through dialogue among the parties concerned. On the sidelines of the summit, relevant ministries and agencies from both countries signed a total of 18 agreements and MOUs.