President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that South Korea will be Africa's "true friend" for the continent's common goal of achieving economic growth, given that South Korea, which was once one of the world's poorest countries, achieved its own economic breakthrough and prosperity in a dramatic fashion.
At a welcoming dinner held Monday in Seoul on the eve of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit, Yoon brought up "ubuntu," a term referring to the essence of humanity used among sub-Saharan tribes of the Bantu language family, "harambe," meaning "pull altogether" in Swahili, and "nit nitai garabam," a Wolof proverb from Senegal meaning "a person is the medicine of another person," stressing that the spirit of togetherness in Africa was also observed in South Korea's agricultural community, such as in the communal labor called "pumasi" and farmers' guild "dure."
At the welcoming dinner at Shilla Seoul, Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee greeted some 60 invitees representing the 48 participating African countries, according to the president's office.
The dinner featured media projections inspired by traditional Korean art, stage performances by Korean drum bands, taekwondo performers, a K-pop band, a Korean aria singer, a choir playing Korean and African music as well as dishes incorporating both Korean and African cuisine.
Inviting delegations from 48 countries, including 25 leaders of African countries, Yoon's office sees the multilateral summit and a series of bilateral talks on the sidelines of the megasized event as an opportunity for South Korea to make inroads into the continent that is home to rich resources, a population of 1.4 billion and $3.4 trillion in purchasing power.
The summit and bilateral talks also come as Asia's fourth-largest economy envisions bilateral and multilateral pacts to secure key mineral resources in Africa. As the incoming chair of the Minerals Security Partnership starting in July, South Korea will take the lead in ensuring international mineral supply chain security, according to Yoon's office.
Yoon held talks earlier Monday with 10 heads of state from the African continent.
From 9 a.m. until noon, Yoon held brief talks with six heads of state: Prime Minister Sam Matekane of Lesotho, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun, Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Togo President Faure Gnassingbe and Rwanda President Paul Kagame.
In the afternoon, Yoon also held talks with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, Sao Tome and Principe President Carlos Vila Nova, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Cabo Verde President Jose Maria Neves.
According to Yoon's office, their bilateral talks revolved around ways to boost trade as well as development cooperation and cultural exchange.
According to Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy director of the presidential National Security Office, Yoon is poised to meet all 25 top leaders through Wednesday on the margins of Tuesday's event. Since Friday, Yoon has met 13 leaders from Africa.
Yoon had previously met 17 heads of state from Africa since his term began in May 2022.
