Seoul deepens ties with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held back-to-back summits with the leaders of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, expanding cooperation in critical minerals, infrastructure and trade as Seoul hosted its first-ever summit with the five Central Asian nations. Lee first met Tajik President Emomali Rahmon at Cheong Wa Dae, where the two countries agreed to establish a “comprehensive partnership” for the first time since establishing dip September 16, 2026

Cho flies to Washington, Seoul holds NSC meeting SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to Washington from Thursday through Saturday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while Seoul convenes a National Security Council meeting to review options in response to U.S. demands for a contribution to security in the Strait of Hormuz. The NSC review could give Cho a clearer position to take into his meeting with Rubio on Friday. The Foreign Ministry said Wednesday the two ministers September 16, 2026

India's Ramayana comes alive on Seoul stage through rhythm, gesture and Odissi SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - Eight dancers stepped onto the stage in deep purple and silver costumes, their bare feet striking the floor as the sound of ankle bells followed almost every movement. The rhythm was distinctive. Knees bent low, wrists turned sharply and elbows shifted into angular positions, while fingers repeatedly formed delicate shapes, at times with three fingers extended. A slight movement of the eyes or fingertips could change the mood of a scene. For nearly the September 15, 2026

Korea, Kazakhstan sign oil, nuclear fuel deals and upgrade ties SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - South Korea and Kazakhstan agreed Tuesday to cooperate on Kazakh crude oil supply and nuclear fuel, as the two countries raised their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at a summit in Seoul. The agreements build on an economic relationship that is already substantial. Trade between the two countries topped $3 billion last year, and total South Korean direct investment in Kazakhstan has passed $12 billion, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomar September 15, 2026

Seoul mulls contingency as Saudi disruption complicates cold-season oil supplies SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - International oil prices climbed again Tuesday on supply concerns ahead of colder weather after drone attacks crippled Saudi Arabia's main oil pipeline bypassing the dysfunctional Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude rose $1.24 to $106.93 a barrel in early trading, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained $1.29 to $102.65, as traders weighed how long Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline could remain offline and whether alternative export routes could compe September 15, 2026

Two hearts drive Kazakhstan - Almaty and Astana In 1997, when the government announced it was moving the capital, the reaction abroad was skeptical. The site chosen sat in the middle of the steppe and held fewer than 300,000 people. Countries that relocate a capital usually see one of two outcomes. The old capital loses its energy, or the new one hardens into a town of civil servants. Kazakhstan avoided both. The two cities split the work, and together they generate roughly 35 percent of national gross domestic product. Alma September 15, 2026

Aju, Kazinform in media deal amid Korea-Central Asia Summit SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - A South Korean media company and Kazakhstan's state news agency agreed on Tuesday to share and jointly produce news content, opening a direct channel between the two countries' newsrooms hours before their leaders were to meet in Seoul. The memorandum of understanding was signed at Aju News Corporation's headquarters in central Seoul by Chairman Kwak Young-kil and Raushan Kazhibayeva, who directs the Republican State Enterprise "TV & September 15, 2026

Korea, Turkmenistan broaden economic partnership at summit SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow agreed Tuesday to expand cooperation in investment, infrastructure, shipbuilding and public security as the two countries signed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding. Lee met Berdimuhamedow, who is on a state visit to South Korea, at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul ahead of the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit. The agreements cover investment protection, chemical and September 15, 2026

Korea courts Uzbekistan on minerals before Central Asia summit SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - Critical minerals, high-speed rail and defense exports drove the opening round of South Korea's Central Asia summit week on Monday. President Lee Jae Myung received Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at Cheong Wa Dae, the first of five regional leaders arriving in Seoul. Hours earlier, the industry ministry had convened the first Korea-Central Asia industry ministers' meeting at a hotel in central Seoul. The industry chiefs of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz September 14, 2026

ADB backs Korean minerals push in Central Asia SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - The search for critical minerals in Central Asia picked up a lender on Monday, when the Asian Development Bank said it was ready to co-finance South Korean projects across the region, two days before the first Korea-Central Asia Summit opens in Seoul. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is Uzbekistan's largest investor, with more than $15 billion in cumulative assistance, and agreed this year on an indicative country program worth $12.4 billion running September 14, 2026