Uzbekistan and South Korea Sign 13 Documents in Seoul
Talks between Mirziyoyev and Lee Jae-myung concluded with an exchange of cooperation documents on critical minerals, artificial intelligence and defense. The meeting came on the eve of the first Korea–Central Asia summit on Sept. 16.
SEOUL, Sept. 14, 2026 — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung concluded talks with an exchange of 13 documents and memorandums between the two countries.
What was signed
The documents span transport, civil aviation, agriculture, tourism, education, artificial intelligence, technical assistance, medical-product regulation, environmental protection, intellectual property and archival work.
Korea Eximbank and Uzbekistan's Ministry of Investments agreed to identify projects and explore financing options across six priority areas: critical minerals, artificial intelligence and data centers, smart cities, an industrial complex for Korean companies, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, and the food, beauty and culture industries.
The most concrete defense outcome was an agreement between Korea Aerospace Industries and an Uzbek partner on defense-industry cooperation. The Korean government's published readout specified neither the type of equipment nor the value of the contract.
By the numbers
- Documents signed: 13
- Prospective investment projects: ~$12 billion
- Strategic cooperation program with Korea Eximbank: $8 billion
- Feasibility-study memorandum on high-speed trains: 8 trains
- Korean-capital enterprises in Uzbekistan: more than 700
- Accumulated Korean investment: more than $8 billion
Trains and a biobank
The two sides also signed a memorandum on launching feasibility studies for another eight high-speed trains. This is a preliminary stage, not a supply contract. In 2024, Uzbekistan agreed to purchase six high-speed trains from Hyundai Rotem.
A separate memorandum provides for the establishment of a national genome and biobank center — the “Biome Center” — in Uzbekistan under Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).
From transport infrastructure, health care and responses to the climate crisis to critical mineral supply chains, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and defense — we can broaden the horizons of mutually beneficial cooperation.
— Lee Jae-myung, President of South Korea (from The Korea Herald translation, 14.09.2026)
Context
The meeting took place on the eve of the first Korea–Central Asia summit, hosted by Seoul. The summit is scheduled for Sept. 16, with the heads of state of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan invited.
More than 700 enterprises with Korean capital operate in Uzbekistan, among them Samsung, LG, Lotte and KIA. Accumulated Korean investment has passed $8 billion.