Yoon concludes Central Asian tour with mineral agreements, KTX deal and new puppies

President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up on Sunday a weeklong trip to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that focused on introducing Korea's new strategy toward Central Asia and strengthening cooperation in critical minerals, energy and infrastructure

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev shake hands at their bilateral summit at the presidential palace in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Friday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up on Sunday a weeklong trip to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that focused on introducing Korea's new strategy toward Central Asia and strengthening cooperation in critical minerals, energy and infrastructure.

Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, early Sunday, concluding their state visits to the three resource-rich Central Asian countries.

Supply chain stability for minerals and economic security were high on the agenda throughout the trip.

Yoon and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in their bilateral summit in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent on Friday, agreed to strengthen their special strategic partnership in a future-oriented way, covering a wide range of sectors, including minerals, energy and infrastructure.

The two sides signed a partnership deal on critical mineral supply chain cooperation, facilitating collaboration from joint exploration and mining to refining and commercialization.

Uzbekistan is known for its abundance of minerals such as tungsten and molybdenum, which are used in semiconductors and rechargeable batteries.

"We decided to maximize the synergy of supply chain cooperation between the two countries by combining Uzbekistan's abundant mineral resources and Korea's excellent technological capabilities," Yoon said in a joint press briefing after their summit.

If exploration efforts turn up economically viable deposits of critical minerals, Korean companies could have priority in development and production opportunities.

The two countries also expanded cooperation in infrastructure, health and medical care, and science and technology.

Korea is also set to export its high-speed train, the KTX, to Uzbekistan, marking the first overseas export of the advanced rail system.

Hyundai Rotem signed a $200 million contract on Friday to export six KTX-Eum trains to Uzbekistan Railways in a ceremony witnessed by the two countries' presidents.

The exported train, the UTY EMU-250, is an improved model of the KTX-Eum currently operating in Korea, tailored to meet local conditions, including an additional VIP car.

The efficient distributed-power high-speed train can operate at speeds of up to 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour.

"The UTY EMU-250 can transport more passengers than the high-speed trains currently operating in Uzbekistan," Seoul's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.

Korean companies will produce 87 percent of the trains' components, including electric traction systems, braking systems, transformers and passenger doors, allowing 128 small and medium-sized Korean component suppliers to enter the overseas market, the ministry added.

To ensure the continuous operation of the KTX, both nations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on railway cooperation. The agreement focuses on exchanging high-speed train operation and maintenance technologies, training of related personnel and support for constructing vehicle bases.

Additionally, Mirziyoyev committed to supporting Korean companies in the $5.3 billion Tashkent-Andijan road project, set for bidding in the latter half of the year.

Korea also agreed to double the loans made through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund to $2 billion from 2024 to 2027 to support development projects, including in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center left, and first lady Kim Keon Hee pose for a commemorative photo with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, center right, and his wife, Ziroatkhon Hoshimova, in a visit to the Gur-e-Amir mausoleum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Saturday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Yoon later spoke at a Korea-Uzbekistan business forum attended by some 600 government officials and businesspeople, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin and Posco Group Chairman Chang In-hwa.

"Economic cooperation between the two countries began 30 years ago, in 1994, when a Daewoo Motors factory broke ground in Asaka," Yoon said in his keynote address, adding that "Uzbekistan has now become a leader in the Central Asian automobile industry, producing 400,000 cars annually."

He highlighted that "cooperation between the two countries, which started with automobiles, is now expanding to all industries, including plants and infrastructure."

Yoon also visited Techno Park in Tashkent to inspect Samsung Electronics' home appliance assembly line.

The two sides signed 47 MOUs and documents during Yoon's state visit, including deals on trade and investment, transportation and energy.

The Korea-Uzbekistan special strategic partnership was established in 2019. This marks the first state visit by a Korean leader to Uzbekistan in five years.

Yoon and first lady wrapped up their trip with a visit to the ancient Central Asian city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, a Unesco World Heritage site, Saturday, joined by the Uzbek presidential couple.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and first lady Kim Keon Hee disembark from the presidential jet at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, early Sunday, concluding a weeklong trip to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

During Yoon's state visits, all three countries endorsed Korea's "K-Silk Road Cooperation" initiative, which aims to create a new cooperation model linking Korea's innovative capabilities with Central Asia's development potential and abundant resources.

This is the Yoon government's third regional strategy after those for the Indo-Pacific region and Asean nations.

They also supported Yoon's proposal to establish a summit with five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Korea plans to host the inaugural Korea-Central Asia summit next year.

In Turkmenistan, the first leg of the trip, Korean companies secured around $6 billion in deals for plants and gas field projects.

In Kazakhstan, the two sides signed a partnership for minerals supply chain cooperation, opening the way for Korea to participate in geological surveys of critical minerals, exploration, mining, refining and commercialization.

This week, a pair of Alabai, Turkmenistan's national dog breed, gifted to Yoon during his state visit to the Central Asian country, will be making their new home in Seoul.

Yoon and first lady Kim received the two Alabai, a Turkmen breed of Central Asian shepherd, from former Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, chairman of the People's Council and father of the current president, as gifts symbolizing bilateral friendship during their meeting in Ashgabat on last Tuesday.

The female and male Alabai pair will arrive at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Tuesday after undergoing quarantine, a presidential official told reporters Friday during Yoon's state visit to Uzbekistan.

The dogs will first spend time on the lawn in front of the presidential office to adapt to life in Korea before officially moving to the presidential residence.

With the Turkmen pups set to join the throng soon, the presidential couple's pet count will come to 13, including eight dogs.

BY SARAH KIM, SEO JI-EUN [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]