South Korea embraces Central Asian leaders, looking to boost regional clout

South Korea is set to host the leaders of five Central Asian states for the first-ever presidential summit, described as historic. The summit, preceded by bilateral meetings between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and the leaders of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, aims to deepen economic engagement. Central Asian states are looking to diversify their international partnerships and attract investments, while South Korea seeks to reduce its dependency on China.