▲ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov shake hands during their summit in Seoul on Sept. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Wednesday, calling the Central Asian country a solid partner in politics and the economy, and expressing hope for expanded bilateral exchanges.

The bilateral summit came ahead of the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia Summit to be held later Wednesday in Seoul, which will also be attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

"South Korea and Kyrgyzstan are solid partners that have advanced cooperation in various areas since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, including politics, the economy and culture," Lee said.

For South Korea, Kyrgyzstan is its second-biggest trading partner in Central Asia in terms of trade volume, the South Korean president noted, expressing hope that bilateral exchanges will further grow based on the high potential of cooperation between the countries.

Lee cited infrastructure, public administration, public safety, disaster response, food security and education as areas where the countries should expand their mutually beneficial cooperation.

He also asked the Kyrgyz leader to support Seoul's efforts to build peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

President Japarov said his country considers South Korea one of its major cooperation partners in the Asia-Pacific region and prioritizes cooperation with Seoul in various sectors.

"There are no major differences in political views between the two countries, and both countries share similar stances on international and regional relations," Japarov said.

The two countries have great potential for cooperation that remains untapped, he also said, adding he is confident the countries will further develop their ties and expand tangible cooperation in new fields.

The Kyrgyz president invited Lee to visit the Central Asian country next year, when the countries will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

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