The first South Korea-Africa summit kicks off this Tuesday. On June 4 and 5, two days of discussion are organized in Seoul, to deepen and develop partnerships between South Korea and the African continent. For the occasion, delegations from 48 African countries are traveling, as well as around twenty heads of state and government. An important event which marks the new South Korean ambitions on the continent.
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With our correspondent in Seoul, Nicolas Rocca
“ Laying the foundations for global cooperation “, this is how the South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol defined the objective of the summit in an interview with AFP. The Head of State identified in particular the key sector of “ essential minerals “. Several African countries have large reserves of these resources, which are essential for South Korea’s semiconductor and battery industry. Construction companies have also launched infrastructure projects in Africa.
After organizing several meetings in recent years, this summit is an opportunity for Seoul to move up a gear in its relations with the continent. Despite historical ties, notably with Ethiopia which participated in the Korean War, Asia’s fourth largest economy lags far behind its Chinese and Japanese neighbors. The country hopes to capitalize on its unique history, that of a colonized country with dazzling economic growth, to attract African leaders.
For the occasion, the Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara, as well as heads of state or government from Cameroon, Lesotho, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Tanzania should be present at the opening of the summit this Tuesday.
“Focus on bilateral relations”
For this important event which marks the new South Korean ambitions on the continent, South Korea intends to leverage its unique experience to compete with its neighbors by creating more advantageous partnerships for African countries.
Cho Won-bin is a professor of political science and specialist in African politics at Sunkgyunkwan University in Seoul: “ Even though this is a multilateral summit between Korea and Africa, our government is trying to focus on bilateral relations, which is a key point. »
For this professor of political science, South Korea is still an emerging democracy, which has gone through the colonial period and the war, but which has managed to succeed in its economic development and the consolidation of its democracy. “ This is not the case for the United States, China or Japan.specifies Cho Won-bin. As South Koreans, we are better able to understand the situation these countries find themselves in. »
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