During President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to South Korea, Uzbekistan deepened cooperation with South Korean partners on airport infrastructure development along two separate tracks.
Uzbekistan's Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov met on 13 September in Seoul with Chung Kyung-soo, Chairman of the Board of Yooshin Engineering Corporation. The sides discussed establishing long-term cooperation with the company to develop modern airport infrastructure in Uzbekistan — specifically drawing on Yooshin's years of experience gained during the construction of Incheon International Airport, and the potential of its highly qualified specialists, for the New Tashkent International Airport project.
Separately, per Spot.uz, Mirziyoyev met with Kim Beom-ho, acting president of Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC). The sides reviewed progress on projects to modernize Urgench Airport and construct the new Tashkent airport. Mirziyoyev supported IIAC's plans to open an office in Tashkent, proposing it serve as a base for a competence center focused on airport management, digitalization, and personnel training.
Both tracks build on IIAC's already substantial presence in Uzbekistan's airport sector: in August 2026, the corporation won a 6.9 trillion won ($4.83 billion) contract to develop and operate the new Tashkent airport — its largest overseas project to date, a 35-year deal giving it a 7.5% stake in an international consortium alongside Vision Invest and Sojitz Corporation. IIAC had earlier secured the contract to develop and operate Urgench Airport.
A South Korean cluster of partners is thus forming around the New Tashkent International Airport project (slated to open in late 2030/early 2031, valued at $3.3 billion, with capacity for 54 million passengers annually): IIAC as operator and part-owner, Yooshin Engineering as a potential engineering advisor, and Vision Invest and Sojitz Corporation as consortium partners.