On the 2nd, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced ahead of the Korea-Africa Summit, “We will establish a comprehensive cooperation base, including information exchange related to key minerals, technological collaboration, and joint exploration.”
In a written interview with AFP released on that day, Yoon said, “Korea is a powerhouse of high-tech manufacturing industry, but it relies on imports for more than 95% of raw minerals.” He added, “Despite Africa’s importance, Korea’s trade with Africa accounts for only 1.9% of total trade. We will actively support exchanges between companies on both sides.”
Yoon emphasized, “Korea can offer Africa the experience it has accumulated while developing from a developing country to an advanced country in half a century, particularly contributing to infrastructure construction.” He added, “There seems to be endless opportunities for cooperation across all fields of infrastructure. This includes infrastructure construction of roads, railways, airports, ports, smart city systems like smart transportation, and establishment of master plans.”
Yoon will be hosting the Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul from June 4-5. Representatives from 48 African countries will attend the conference, and Yoon is scheduled to hold summit meetings with kings and presidents from 25 of these countries.