South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol embarked on a trip to Central Asia on Monday to hold talks on strengthening diplomatic ties and cooperating in areas such as energy and minerals, Yoon's office said.

The chairmen of SK, POSCO and Lotte will accompany President Yoon Suk Yeol on his state visits to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week to seek business cooperation with the mineral-rich Central Asian countries,

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Turkmenistan on Monday on the first leg of his weeklong trip to Central Asia that will also take him to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a mission to expand cooperation in critical minerals and other key sectors.

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol embarked Monday on a weeklong Central Asia trip that will take him to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a mission to expand cooperation in critical minerals and other key sectors.