Seoul’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun speaks at the Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum held Thursday in Seoul. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)

South Korea is committed to making the June summit with Africa a success, and ready to share its experiences of growth and development with African countries, Seoul’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun said at a forum hosted by the African Group of Ambassadors and the Korea Herald on Thursday.

Speaking at the Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum, he opened his congratulatory remarks by thanking the hosts for holding “this significant event” that took place less than two weeks from the first-ever Korea-Africa summit.

“As President Yoon has repeatedly stated since his inauguration, the Korean government has shown its strong commitment to fostering a mutually beneficial, sustainable, and strategic long-term partnership with Africa,” he said.

He said South Korea was “ready to share its unique and unparalleled experiences in development, not only its success stories but also the lessons learned, and to accompany African countries as they take the lead in charting their own trajectories.”

“This summit will be a pivotal moment to solidify this commitment and establish a strong foundation for a shared future.”

Through the summit, he said South Korea and Africa would not only be able to “leverage their respective comparative advantages ... to foster mutual growth and prosperity,” the two sides would also get to jointly “address complex challenges, such as food security.”

The vice minister said Africa, long seen as “the next powerhouse of the world economy,” has shown the region was on a path to “make this vision a reality ... through its commitment to sustainable development and combating climate change.”

“Let’s join hands to ensure that Korea and Africa will always be there for each other, come rain or shine,” he said.