South Korea has raised its nationwide terrorism alert as the country prepares to host the first Korea–Central Asia Summit, with authorities strengthening security measures ahead of the high-level diplomatic gathering.

The nationwide alert has moved to the “caution” level from September 11, while Seoul is scheduled to move to the higher “alert” level from September 13. Officials said the measures are intended to ensure the safe conduct of the summit and respond proactively to potential security threats.

The three-day summit will bring together South Korea and five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It is scheduled to begin next week and represents a new platform for expanding cooperation between Seoul and Central Asia.

Under the heightened security arrangements, authorities will strengthen immigration screening and increase police security activities around key locations. Government agencies are also expected to maintain close coordination throughout the summit period.

The summit comes at a time when South Korea is facing several important regional security and economic challenges. Seoul has also been weighing its response to the ongoing crisis around the Strait of Hormuz, while continuing to manage relations with both the United States and Iran.

The upcoming meeting could provide South Korea with an opportunity to expand cooperation with Central Asian states in areas such as trade, energy, transportation, technology and regional security.