South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for the first South Korea-Central Asia summit, where the six governments agreed to expand cooperation across critical mineral supply chains, including exploration, refining, processing and manufacturing, The Chosun Daily reported on Sept. 16. Three days of meetings produced more than 70 agreements and memorandums spanning mining, energy, infrastructure, technology and investment, including South Korean agreements with Kazakhstan on nuclear energy , crude oil and minerals needed for high-tech manufacturing, and a framework with Uzbekistan to secure stable supplies of battery and industrial minerals.