Yoon meets 10 African leaders ahead of Korea-Africa Summit

President Yoon Suk Yeol held a series of bilateral summit meetings with leaders of 10 African nations Monday to discuss ways to expand cooperation on the eve of the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit, the presidential office said.

Yoon had back-to-back meetings with leaders from Lesotho, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Togo, Rwanda, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde at the presidential office in Seoul.

The leaders were in South Korea to attend the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, which will bring together delegations from 48 African countries, including the leaders of 25 of them.

Yoon has held separate meetings with the leaders from Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Ethiopia, who were on state visits to the nation.

In each summit meeting, Yoon said South Korea has steadily enhanced exchanges and cooperation with Africa for over five decades, and wished for the upcoming summit to serve as a turning point for strengthening cooperation in various fields, such as energy, infrastructure, critical minerals and agriculture, his office said.

Yoon also underscored that Seoul’s hosting of the inaugural summit demonstrates its commitment to fulfilling responsibilities and contributions to the international community as a global pivotal state.

The African leaders said they want to learn from Korea’s experience of rising to an economic power from the ruins of the 1950-53 Korean War and expressed their hope to expand cooperation in all areas, including development projects, according to the office.

Following Monday’s talks, Yoon hosted a welcoming dinner at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul with about 60 delegations from the participating countries.

During the dinner, Yoon said the upcoming summit aims to share South Korea’s know-how in economic development and pursue co-prosperity with African nations.

“South Korea and Africa have gathered here to witness Korea’s development firsthand, share experiences, and gain wisdom and inspiration for mutual progress,” Yoon said in an opening address.

“We understand Africa’s aspirations for development and prosperity better than anyone based on experiences of going through the most difficult and impoverished times, and developing the economy in the most dramatic way,” he added.

The main session of the summit will be held at the KINTEX in Ilsan, north of Seoul, on the first day, followed by a business summit in Seoul on the second day.