Yoon Lee
THE REPUBLIC of Korea (South Korea) and the AU are co-hosting the third Korea-Africa Forum in Seoul
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The forum, being the largest event in Korea-Africa relations, brings together about 150 delegates from 18 African countries, including the chair countries of Africa’s eight regional organisations.
In a bid to reap synergetic effects from the forum, the Korean government has designated Monday to tomorrow as an “ROK-Africa Co-operation Week”, during which meetings and events take place between different government agencies of the ROK and Africa.
According to the International Monetary Fund, from last year until 2015, seven of the world’s top 10 fastest-growing economies will be African countries.
This year, Africa will record a remarkable 4.5 percent economic growth rate, in spite of the global economic uncertainties. Furthermore, the African continent is very important within the international arena, with 54 of its countries accounting for 25 percent of the membership of the UN.
The first Korea-Africa Forum was held in 2006 and has been held every three years subsequently.
During this year’s forum, the participants will review the progress in the co-operation between Korea and African countries in three main areas, namely: development; trade and investment; and peace and security. They will adopt the Seoul Declaration 2012 and the Action Plan for 2013 to 2015 as concluding documents, which include Korea’s expansion of official development assistance in African nations and the establishment of a technology training centre at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia.
In 2005, the Korean government’s official development assistance to Africa amounted to $42 million (R365.9m) and this amount more than doubled to $100m by 2008, again doubling to $200m this year.
Some of the fields in which Korea has provided training and education include agriculture, information technology, medical services, disease prevention and climate change adaptation.
South African participants at the forum include ambassador Jerry Matjila, director-general of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, and Jakkie Cilliers, the executive director of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
Deputy Minister of Energy Barbara Thompson and Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene are also participating in the ministerial-level meetings in Seoul.
This high-level participation in the forum by the South African government and the ISS is one of the indications of the growing Korean-South African bilateral relations. South Africa is Korea’s largest trading partner in Africa while Korea is South Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner in Asia.
It is the intention of the Korean government to upgrade our bilateral relations to a higher level based on universal values such as respect for human rights, as well as to work together to promote the sustainable development of the African continent via the forum.
Yoon Lee is Korea’s ambassador to South Africa.