President Yoon Suk Yeol will pay state visits to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan next week, his office said Friday. Yoon will embark on the six-day trip Monday, accompanied by first lady Kim Keon Hee and visit the three Central Asian nations through June 15, according to Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo. "Central Asia, which was the center of the ancient Silk Road, is a strategic point connecting Europe and Asia," Kim said during a press briefing. "The strategic importance is growing further as the global polycrisis spreads due to factors, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East." Source: Yonhap News Agency