Foreign affairs chiefs from across Africa gathered in Seoul on Saturday to express their commitment to expanding cooperation with South Korea.
African foreign ministers and vice ministers, the heads of four regional international organizations, and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun adopted a joint statement to that effect at the "2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting" held at Lotte Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, central Seoul. In the joint statement, the participants said they discussed "geopolitical instability, the current situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, and its impact on the global economy and particularly on Africa and Korea."
"Africa's strategic importance is gradually increasing in terms of resources, including maritime shipping routes and critical minerals," they said. "We assessed this as a valuable opportunity to deepen and strengthen the bilateral (Korea-Africa) relationship." They also stressed that they "recognized the potential for cooperation between Korea and Africa and confirmed the need to strengthen mutually beneficial economic cooperation."
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the outcomes of the "Korea-Africa Summit" held in South Korea in June 2024 and welcomed Korea's proposal to host the "2029 Korea-Africa Summit." It marked the first time the South Korean government has hosted a foreign ministers' meeting by inviting all African countries and regional organizations. Held under the theme "Korea-Africa Partnership for Joint Response in a Global Transition Era," the meeting featured two sessions in which participants extensively discussed ways to strengthen Korea-Africa cooperation.
The first session reviewed ongoing cooperation projects in various areas, including trade and investment, infrastructure, and food security, and discussed ways to expand mutually beneficial economic cooperation based on Korea's development experience and technological capabilities. In the second session, participants agreed on the need to develop Korea-Africa solidarity into a future-oriented partnership to jointly address global challenges such as climate change, health crises, and peace and security.
In his opening remarks, Cho stressed that "the world is facing complex challenges in various areas, including supply chains, energy, and food security," adding that "close cooperation between Korea and Africa is more important than ever."
