President Lee Jae Myung will host the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul on Sept. 16, bringing together the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The meetings, scheduled from Sept. 14 to 16, will elevate the ministerial-level Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum, launched in 2007, to a leaders-level framework and seek to adopt a Seoul Declaration outlining long-term cooperation. South Korea aims to link Central Asia's critical minerals and energy resources with Korean exploration and processing technologies, diversify supply chains and help Korean companies secure opportunities in regional markets. The agenda also covers AI, digital technology, climate response, water management, disaster response, people-to-people exchanges and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula and transnational crime. A business summit involving about 500 officials and businesspeople will follow the leaders' meeting, alongside bilateral summits and an official dinner.