President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled to meet Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the final part of his Central Asia tour. Yoon's agenda includes discussions on securing a stable supply of critical minerals from Uzbekistan, facilitating the involvement of South Korean construction companies in Uzbek projects, and enhancing cooperation in various areas such as healthcare, climate change, education, and public administration services. This visit is significant as it continues the tradition of South Korean presidents visiting Uzbekistan, with the first visit dating back to 2005. After departing from Astana, Kazakhstan, President Yoon will arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, for a state visit. Uzbekistan holds a Special Strategic Partnership with South Korea, alongside India, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. During his visit, Yoon will also participate in a flower-laying ceremony at the Independence Square of Uzbekistan and meet with overseas Koreans and ethnic Koreans who resettled in the 1930s from the Soviet Union's Far East region. The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992, and their trade volume reached $2.45 billion in 2023, making South Korea Uzbekistan's fifth-largest trading partner. Additionally, South Korea and Uzbekistan upgraded their diplomatic ties to a special strategic partnership in 2019. President Yoon's trip to Central Asia aims to garner support for Seoul's proposal to host a multilateral summit in 2025 and promote the K-Silk Road initiative, which focuses on minerals cooperation, development aid, and people-to-people exchange in the region. This visit underscores South Korea's commitment to strengthening its ties with Uzbekistan and the broader Central Asian region.