Hopes high among Uzbeks ahead of Korea-Central Asia Summit

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Expectations are high in Uzbekistan ahead of the first Korea-Central Asia Summit, with Uzbeks hoping that their country's long-standing goodwill toward South Korea will translate into investment, technology and opportunities for ordinary people.

Areas of interest range from advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence to education and jobs, with Uzbeks looking for practical results from closer ties with Korea.

The summit, scheduled for Sept. 16-17 in Seoul, will bring South Korea together with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for their first leaders' meeting in this format, as Seoul seeks to expand its engagement with the strategically located region.

South Korea already has a visible presence in Uzbekistan through development projects, universities and popular culture, alongside historical ties through the country's community of "Koryo saram," the Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan known in Korea as "Koryoin."

Four Korean university branches operate in the country, while Uzbek workers participate in Korea's Employment Permit System.

Shohzodbek Abdurahimov, an Uzbek librarian in his 20s, looks to South Korea for its experience in technology, education and development.

“I have high hopes for the summit,” Abdurahimov told The Korea Herald. “Uzbekistan needs Korean technology and expertise.”

He hopes closer ties will expand opportunities and exchanges in education, business and technology.

Those expectations build on an established economic relationship. Bilateral trade stood at about $1.8 billion in 2025, while around 1,000 joint ventures operate in Uzbekistan and cumulative Korean investment has exceeded $8 billion, according to Uzbek officials.

Sarvar Ochilov, an adviser at Uzbekistan's Microcreditbank, said he hopes the summit will deliver concrete economic outcomes.

“Uzbekistan expects practical agreements in industry, transport, digitalization, AI, energy and critical minerals,” Ochilov told The Korea Herald.

He said South Korea's experience in innovation and industrial modernization could help Uzbekistan move into higher-value industries.

“This could help Uzbekistan create more high-value products and modern jobs,” he said.

The two sides have complementary, though not identical, interests.

Uzbekistan wants investment that brings technology, local production and skilled jobs, while South Korea is seeking more resilient supply chains and new economic partners.

Seoul has identified supply-chain diversification and mutually beneficial economic cooperation as priorities for the summit, reflecting Central Asia's growing geoeconomic importance.

For South Korea, Uzbekistan is becoming increasingly important to supply-chain diversification. Rich in critical minerals, including tungsten and molybdenum, it agreed with Seoul in 2024 to deepen cooperation in resource development and processing, potentially linking Uzbek minerals with Korean industries such as semiconductors and batteries.

The test will be whether summit agreements can bridge those priorities and turn diplomatic momentum into lasting projects.

But Seoul is not alone in seeking a larger role in Uzbekistan, where China, Russia and Turkey already have substantial economic and political ties.

“Chinese and Turkish companies are already highly visible in Uzbekistan. Korea has the reputation and technology — now it needs a stronger presence on the ground,” a Koryoin businessman in his 50s told The Korea Herald, requesting anonymity.

He said Korean technology could play a greater role as Uzbekistan modernizes its economy and diversifies its industrial partnerships.

“The summit's real success will be measured in Korean investment, technology transfer, new projects and quality jobs for Uzbeks,” he said.

Nurbek Salomov, press secretary of Uzbekistan's sports ministry, said the summit could deepen bilateral ties while placing Korea-Central Asia cooperation on a broader regional footing.

“This is an opportunity to take the Uzbekistan-Korea strategic partnership to a higher level,” Salomov said, citing investment, high-tech manufacturing and exports.

More broadly, he said, the summit “could move Korea-Central Asia cooperation from individual projects to a long-term regional partnership.”

Central Asia has drawn increasing attention for its critical minerals and trade routes linking Asia and Europe.

But Uzbek expectations go beyond resources to technology, manufacturing, education and jobs. With the five Central Asian countries differing widely in their economies, resources and development priorities, Seoul will also need to balance a regional strategy with country-specific partnerships.

Uzbekistan is particularly interested in South Korea's experience in linking industrial development with investment in people.

“Korea developed by investing in people, education, science and technology,” Salomov said, calling for deeper cooperation in vocational training, engineering, AI and research.

“Investment and new jobs are extremely important,” he said. “But the most important long-term investment is in human capital.”

For Uzbeks such as Abdurahimov, closer ties ultimately mean more opportunities to study, work and exchange knowledge.

“I would like to see more exchanges,” he said.

His message to Koreans was simpler: “Please come and visit Uzbekistan.”