South Korea vows to back Africa’s growth

African ministers discussing ways of fostering and nurturing sustainable economic co-operation.
Africa is viewed as “the land of opportunities” while South Korea comes in as a partner with vivid experiences of development which has seen the country undergo transformation over the past five decades.

Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere is leading a high-powered Zimbabwe delegation to the forum which ends on Saturday.
Although Zimbabwe did not get a chance to address the meeting during the official opening ceremony, there was active engagement with the Korean facilitators and other delegations.
Among other notable officials in Minister Kasukuwere’s delegation are State Enterprises and Parastatals Deputy Minister Walter Chidakwa, National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board chairperson Mr

David Chapfika and academic Professor Mandivamba Rukuni.
In his opening address, the chairman of the Korea Plant Industries Association, Mr Kil Seon Choi, said Africa has now emerged as the new market of the future and upon realising this they had sought constructive engagements with the continent.

With the forum’s theme on “Building a sincere friendship for mutual prosperity”, South Korea has vowed to support Africa’s development as an international obligation as well as a means of pursuing national interests.
The South Korean economy has experienced phenomenal growth over the past 30 years to emerge as the seventh largest in the world.

This has been achieved mainly through home-grown policies with little or no intervention from outside.
Africa’s great market potential, investment opportunities in infrastructure, access to energy and resources and quality manpower supply have spurred Korea’s economic growth potential.

This has enabled the South East Asian country to achieve food security through a green revolution, cope with rapid urbanisation, construct five million housing units to establish five new cities within the next five years, promote key industries and SMEs, develop transport infrastructure and advanced energy and telecommunication networks.

The forum was providing an opportunity for those present to relate the Korean experiences to Africa and find ways of how they could tackle similar challenges.
One of the presenters at the opening session, Dr Seung-Hun Chun of the Korea Institute for Development Strategy, amply summed up the tone of the forum: “The virginity of Africa should be the source of future

competitiveness of Africa, and a blueprint for sustainable development of global community.”
Minister Kasukuwere and his delegation were last night expected to host an investment symposium to discuss investment opportunities with Korean businesspeople. He is also expected to address Yonsei University students tomorrow.