At the first summit between South Korea and Africa, the great South Korean seduction operation towards the continent continues this Wednesday, June 5. The first day, Tuesday June 4, was devoted to speeches by the twenty heads of state and government who made the trip to Seoul. If South Korean intentions are quite clear, to secure the supply of essential minerals for its semiconductor industry, African countries have also expressed their vision of the partnership.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Seoul, Nicolas Rocca
The summits between a continent and a country have a limit, each State arrives with its own interests. Like Tanzania, which came to sign a loan of 2.5 billion dollars, and in return grant South Korea access to the minerals available to the country.
“ Tanzania is currently working with Korean companies on graphite mining. We invite other partnerships in the exploration, extraction and beneficiation of essential minerals “, declared Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
A market of 400 million consumers
Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara also detailed the sectors in which he hoped to improve cooperation with South Korea. “ I would like to encourage the Korean and Ivorian private sector to interact in order to take advantage of investment opportunities, particularly in the processing of cocoa, of which we are the world’s leading producer, and cashew nuts. (cashew nuts, editor’s note) also where we are the world’s leading producer of natural rubber. In the field of digital transition, innovation and the automotive industry “.
The President of Togo, Faure Gnassignbé also pleaded his case: “ Togo benefits from a strategic positioning at the crossroads of West Africa. It has a significant deep-water port. It was therefore natural for Togo to develop as a hub regional and to open up to West Africa a market of 400 million consumers in full transformation. »
A strong argument for South Korea whose economy is largely export-oriented.
“ South Korean companies have the technologies »
Tuesday June 4, during the first day of the Korea-Africa summit in Seoul, discussions revolved around development aid and investments made by Seoul. But South Korea’s interests in the continent are obviously not disinterested. Numerous announcements concerning essential minerals, vital to semiconductor production, but also the energy sector have been made.
Cho Won-Bin, professor of African politics at Sunk-gyun-kwan University in Seoul and specialist in relations between Korea and Africa, explains the economic origins of South Korean interest in the continent. “ South Korean companies have the technologies, but we need natural resources. And there are tensions between China and the United States. As South Korea is very successful in the field of electric batteries and semiconductors, we need essential resources in this area “, he said.
“ For the moment, it depends on Chinese supplies, but the United States refuses to allow them to be used in production chains, so we have to find alternatives and I think our companies are very interested in minerals in Africa . We have already invested in Mozambique for natural gas and Tanzania for coal, so this is just the beginning », he continues. Mineral exploitation agreements have already been signed by South Korea with Tanzania and Ethiopia.
Read alsoSouth Korea-Africa Summit: a meeting to boost political and economic relations