Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
The South Korean Government has revealed a rise in business interest in Zimbabwe by their companies, indicating promising prospects for deeper economic collaboration between the two countries.
This initiative will extend beyond existing agricultural partnerships facilitated by the Korea Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA) to include cooperation in mining, pharmaceuticals, trade, and investment.
The announcement was made by Korea’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jae Kyung Park, following a courtesy call on Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga yesterday.
The East Asian country has been actively collaborating with Zimbabwe through KOPIA, which started in Mashonaland East and is expanding to other provinces, as revealed by the Ambassador.
Ambassador Park said their businesses are keen to expand cooperation with Zimbabwe in various sectors.
“We discussed a lot of issues. The focus of today’s discussion with the Vice President was on the agricultural sector,” said Ambassador Park.
“I updated the Vice President on what the embassy and our agricultural office, called KOPIA, is planning and is actually implementing, including the seed potato project and also the small grain project.
“It started with Mashonaland East and is now being extended to other provinces and villages, including Masvingo Province, Midlands Province, and Manicaland Province.
“We also touched on economic issues, trade issues, and investment issues, and I was happy to share with the Vice President the growing interest from Korean companies, mining companies, and pharmaceutical companies in having good business relations with their counterparts in Zimbabwe.
“I was very encouraged by the Vice President’s comments, feedback, and input on how Zimbabwe is also interested in my country, Korea, so we are on the same page and we continue to closely cooperate with each other,” said Ambassador Park.
South Korea, with a Gross Domestic Product of around US$2 trillion, offers Zimbabwe substantial economic benefits through cooperative ventures.
By leveraging South Korea’s technological expertise and international influence, Zimbabwe can enhance its productivity, diversify exports, and attract foreign investment.
This collaboration can help Zimbabwe address its economic challenges, including transitioning from a resource-based economy to a more diversified and high-value one.
