UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan held a bilateral summit at the Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on September 14, agreeing to elevate their countries' "Special Strategic Partnership" through expanded cooperation spanning critical minerals, artificial intelligence, defense, healthcare, the environment, tourism, and education. The summit took place during President Mirziyoyev's state visit to Korea — the first among the leaders of the five Central Asian nations to arrive — arranged in conjunction
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan and his delegation discussed concrete implementation plans for aviation education and joint pilot training with President Heo Hee-young of the Korea Aerospace University (KAU). The Initiatives discussed at the meeting included joint education with Tashkent State Transport University (TSTU), Private Pilot License (PPL) programs, and simulator training. The Korea Aerospace University is set to expand its 40 years of flight training expertise to Central Asia. The Republic of Korea and the Republic of Uzb
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced seven sweeping national programmes at a ceremony marking Uzbekistan's 35th independence anniversary on August 28, outlining an ambitious vision for the country's development over the coming decade across education, healthcare, the economy, the environment, judicial reform, community governance, and foreign policy. "The next ten years will be a period of national revival for us," President Mirziyoyev told the gathered audience. "And we can achieve this only through the intellect, hard work and unity of our people." Programme One: E
UN Journal Kayla Lee | SEOUL-N Seoul Tower, one of the most iconic landmarks in the South Korean capital, was illuminated in the national colors of Uzbekistan on Sunday, creating a striking symbol of friendship between the Republic of Korea and Uzbekistan. The special lighting display coincided with the state visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who arrived in Korea on September 13. Blue, white and green -the principal colors of the Uzbek national flag -illuminated the tower, accompanied by symbolic elements reminiscent of the crescent and stars featured on the
UN Journal Kayla Lee | Three decades of dialogue between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea have built a strong foundation of trust, supported by cooperation ranging from major industrial facilities and modern healthcare to education programs and digital government. Today, this partnership is moving to the next level. The Central Asia–Republic of Korea format offers an opportunity to combine bilateral achievements with the scale of the five countries’ collective market, moving from individual projects toward integrated technology value chains, joint raw material processing, and workforce dev
UNJournal Kayla Lee | Uzbek-Korean relations are entering a new stage of development. While trade, investment and equipment supplies previously formed the foundation of bilateral ties, the emphasis is now shifting towards deeper industrial and technological cooperation. The development of joint production and technology chains, the localisation of high-tech manufacturing, the advanced processing of critical mineral resources, and human capital development are emerging as key areas of bilateral cooperation. This trajectory is aligned with the long-term priorities of both countries. The Republic
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan will arrive in South Korea on September 13 on a state visit, becoming the first among the leaders of the five Central Asian nations to travel to Seoul ahead of the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit scheduled for September 16. The visit marks the opening of what officials are describing as a historic week of summit diplomacy aimed at elevating Korea's engagement with Central Asia to a new strategic level. President Lee Jae-myung will hold a bilateral summit with President Mirziyoyev on the afternoon of September 14. The meeti
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Uzbekistan's private sector is navigating a pivotal transition from the adoption of basic digital tools toward deeper technological modernisation, according to a large-scale survey of more than 5,000 entrepreneurs conducted jointly by the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI). The study, which covered enterprises of varying sizes and experience levels across all regions of the country, assessed the current business environment, evaluated the effectiveness of entrepreneurship support measures, and developed propos
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to France, marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, resulted in the signing of eight agreements and memoranda of understanding spanning defense, aviation, AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, nuclear energy, space and cultural cooperation, as the two nations moved to elevate their relationship to what officials described as future-oriented strategic cooperation. The visit, which began in Paris on 8 September local time, marked the completion of reciprocal state visits between Lee and Frenc
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Lee Jae-myung met with OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann on 9 September, local time, marking the 30th anniversary of South Korea's accession to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The two leaders reviewed three decades of cooperation and discussed future collaboration on inclusive growth, artificial intelligence and digital transformation. During the meeting, both sides agreed that as the global economy confronts complex challenges—including demographic shifts, low growth, technological innovation and supply chain restructuring—Ko
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in May 2026 titled "Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region," marking what a leading Uzbek foreign policy researcher describes as a significant milestone in the region's evolving international standing. According to Bekzod Normatov, a research fellow at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, the resolution was originally proposed by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei addressed the possibility of South Korean military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz during a press conference on 7 September, according to a media brief released by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Seoul on 8 September. Responding to a question on the matter, Baghaei said Iran's position was clear, noting that Tehran has maintained good relations with Seoul and values that relationship. At the same time, he said, both South Korea and other countries understand that participation in what he described a
UN Journal Kayla Lee | It is with great pleasure that I warmly welcome the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea. To commemorate this significant occasion, Diplomacy Journal is honored to publish this “Special Edition Commemorating the State Visit of the President of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea.” Since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than three decades ago, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Uzbekistan have developed a special relationship of friendship and cooperation founded on mutual respect and trust. Beyond politi
UN Journal Lee Sung Jun | No policy exists in a vacuum. A measure designed to pressure one country can, over time, alter the calculations of many others. Companies look for new ways to trade. Banks develop new approaches to managing risk. Governments seek to reduce their dependence on financial networks and supply chains that can become instruments of political pressure. This raises a broader question: when sanctions remain in place for years, do they continue to function simply as a tool of pressure, or do they begin to reshape the economic environment itself? Iran offers one of the clearest
UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Tanzanian Ambassador to South Korea Noel Emmanuel Kaganda led a delegation to Korea Aerospace University (KAUT) on September 2 to discuss expanding cooperation in education, research and talent development across aerospace, artificial intelligence, and science and technology. The meeting was attended by KAUT President Hur Hee-young, the university's Director of External Affairs, and Distinguished Professor Lee Jin-sang. The two sides agreed to pursue substantive cooperation projects in education, research and personnel exchange, building on years of established ties be