Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn returned from his overseas trip to Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on Tuesday, after expanding Seoul's diplomatic ties and fostering business opportunities for local firms.

During his trip, Hwang met Uzbekistan Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev and agreed to expand economic cooperation between Seoul and Tashkent. It marked the first time in eight years for a Korean prime minister to visit the Central Asian country.

He also visited Saudi Arabia in an apparent bid to maintain a balance in Seoul's diplomacy position in the Middle East following the president's visit to Iran earlier this month. The trip is the first undertaken by a Korean premier since 2005.

Hwang met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to discuss ways to expand ties in the energy, construction and plant industries. The two countries also decided to sign a treaty to allow South Koreans with a Saudi Arabian visa to enter the Middle Eastern country multiple times within a five-year period.

As his last destination, Hwang also visited Turkey to participate in the World Humanitarian Summit. There, he met U.N.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and agreed to increase the Seoul government's humanitarian donation to the U.N. relief fund. (Yonhap)