What to Expect from the First Central Asia South Korea Summit

The first summit of Central Asian and Republic of Korea leaders will take place in Seoul on September 16-17. Behind the diplomatic novelty of the meeting is a highly practical agenda: South Korea is seeking more resilient sources of critical minerals and new manufacturing partnerships, while Central Asian countries are looking for technologies and investment to process raw materials within the region. The summit continues a trend that has taken shape in recent years. Central Asia is building relations with major external partners through regional formats while preserving national sovereignty and avoiding the creation of supranational institutions. This approach is already being used in relations with the European Union, China, the Gulf states, Japan, and India. Relations with Seoul have long developed along a similar model. The Central Asia – Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum has existed since 2007, but meetings have so far taken place below the level of heads of state. The September summit will elevate this mechanism to the presidential level for the first time. Preparations have been underway for several months. Meetings between representatives of the five Central Asian countries and the Republic of Korea have focused on industrial cooperation, supply chains, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and digital manufacturing. South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources has also proposed establishing a regular C5+Korea Industry Ministers’ Meeting. A business summit is expected to take place in Seoul alongside the leaders’ summit. For South Korea, interest in the region is closely tied to the structure of its own economy. The country is a major producer of semiconductors, batteries, automobiles, and electronics, but depends on imports for many types of mineral resources. Central Asia has globally significant reserves and production of uranium, chromite, and antimony, as well as substantial copper resources. The Korean government already describes Central Asia as an important partner in strengthening strategic mineral supply chains. In December 2025, Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources identified critical minerals, energy, and industrial projects among the main areas for cooperation with the region. Preparations for the summit show that Seoul is looking for specific projects in individual countries. With Tajikistan, discussions focus on the country’s gold, silver, and antimony resources. The first Korea-Tajikistan Minerals Forum was held in Seoul in August. With Kyrgyzstan, Seoul is discussing cooperation on antimony and tungsten. With Uzbekistan, talks cover critical minerals, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing, and industrial complexes. At a roundtable in June, Korean companies operating in Uzbekistan raised concerns with South Korean officials over investment conditions, permits and approvals, and infrastructure. For Kazakhstan, one of the central issues is also the shift from supplying raw materials toward processing them domestically. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Isagaliyev told The Times of Central Asia that digitalization and artificial intelligence, industrial cooperation, critical minerals, and green energy could become new drivers of cooperation. “We see significant potential in introducing advanced Korean technologies and digital solutions in industry, energy, transport, and urban management,” Isagaliyev said. According to him, cooperation on critical minerals should extend into deeper stages...