【Related National Policy Task】 No. 120: Emerging as G7+ Diplomatic Power through Contributions and Active Engagement in International Community
The second meeting of the Organizing Committee for the 1st Korea-Central Asia Summit 2026, chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, August 4, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
※ The Organizing Committee for the 1st Korea-Central Asia Summit 2026 is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and consists of vice-ministerial or senior-level officials from relevant government ministries and agencies.
- (Participating Ministries and Organizations) Office for Government Policy CoordinationㆍMinistry of Finance and EconomyㆍMinistry of Science and ICTㆍMinistry of EducationㆍMinistry of Foreign AffairsㆍMinistry of JusticeㆍMinistry of National DefenseㆍMinistry of the Interior and SafetyㆍMinistry of Patriots and Veterans AffairsㆍMinistry of Culture, Sports and TourismㆍMinistry of Trade, Industry and ResourcesㆍMinistry of Health and WelfareㆍMinistry of Climate, Energy and EnvironmentㆍMinistry of Employment and LaborㆍMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and TransportㆍMinistry of SMEs and StartupsㆍMinistry of Oceans and FisheriesㆍNational Intelligence ServiceㆍMinistry of Personnel ManagementㆍMinistry of Food and Drug SafetyㆍMinistry of Data and StatisticsㆍMinistry of Intellectual PropertyㆍPresidential Security ServiceㆍKorea Customs ServiceㆍOverseas Koreans AgencyㆍDefense Acquisition Program AdministrationㆍKorean National Police AgencyㆍKorea Heritage ServiceㆍKorea Forest ServiceㆍRural Development AdministrationㆍKorea Disease Control and Prevention AgencyㆍKorea Meteorological AdministrationㆍAnti-Corruption and Civil Rights CommissionㆍPersonal Information Protection CommissionㆍKorea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral ResourcesㆍKorea FoundationㆍKorea International Cooperation AgencyㆍKorea Chamber of Commerce and IndustryㆍFederation of Middle Market Enterprises of KoreaㆍKorea International Trade AssociationㆍKorea Enterprises FederationㆍFederation of Korean IndustriesㆍKorea Federation of Small and Medium Business.
This meeting was the final meeting of the Organizing Committee ahead of the 1st Korea-Central Asia Summit 2026, scheduled for Wednesday, September 16. Held approximately 40 days before the Summit, it was convened to comprehensively review the status of preparations by relevant ministries and agencies since the first meeting of the Organizing Committee in February.
Minister Cho emphasized that the Summit, the first to bring together the leaders of the Republic of Korea and all five Central Asian countries and the only multilateral summit to be hosted by Korea this year, would provide an opportunity to broaden Korea's diplomatic horizons in Central Asia and lay the foundation for strategic cooperation with the region. He also stated that, at a time when Central Asia's strategic importance has grown further amid the Russia-Ukraine war and instability in the Middle East, the Summit would mark an important turning point in elevating Korea-Central Asia cooperation to the summit level and building a future-oriented partnership.
Central Asia, with a population of approximately 80 million and a vast land area approximately 18 times the size of the Korean Peninsula, is a market with high growth potential, a major supplier of energy and critical minerals, and a key transportation hub along the Middle Corridor connecting Northeast Asia and Europe.
To translate this strategic value into tangible benefits for Korea, the government plans to focus its whole-of-government efforts on delivering a range of outcomes that the public and businesses can genuinely feel.