South Korean President Yoon announces K-Silk Road initiative

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will pay official visits to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan between June 10 and 15 as part of the K-Silk Road initiative, which aims to create a new platform for cooperation between South Korea and Central Asian countries.

Planning to meet with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on Monday, Yoon will travel to Kazakhstan on Tuesday to meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. On Thursday, Yoon will meet with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

As part of his official visits to the three Central Asian countries, the South Korean President will also attend business forums where companies from both sides will participate.

'SOUTH KOREA-CENTRAL ASIA' SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN 2025

South Korea plans to hold a “Korea-Central Asia” summit in 2025 with the participation of five Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The summit, which will be held in the capital Seoul, will take place within the framework of the K-Silk Road initiative, which aims to create a new platform for cooperation between South Korea and Central Asian countries.

In a statement regarding the initiative, South Korea's Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo said they hope to work together through this initiative to build a free, peaceful, and prosperous South Korea and Central Asia. Stating that the partnership initiative has four main pillars—resources, official development assistance, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and government-level connectivity—Kim noted that South Korea plans to focus on specific cooperation with each of the five countries within these areas.

A high-level representative in South Korea emphasized that Central Asia has a young and dynamic demographic structure. Stating that global powers such as the US and China are trying to strengthen their ties with the region, the official said, “However, there are concerns that these countries are sometimes under pressure regarding investment and support, or to put it more clearly, that they are facing a new form of imperialism.”

News Source: İHA