South Korea and Africa Gear Up for Summit with Preparatory Meetings
On Sunday 31 May 2026, South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hai kicked off the proceedings with the Senior Officials’ Meeting in Seoul. Then, the Foreign Ministers of Africa and South Korea are meeting on Monday. On Tuesday, the South Korea – Africa Business Forum will be held. The theme for this event was ‘Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Challenges.’
This high-level meeting brought together representatives from 50 African countries, out of the 54 countries in Africa. In addition, South Korea specifically invited leaders from the African Union (AU), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the AU Center fo Disease Control (AUCDC), and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
“Participants are expected to hold extensive discussions on measures to strengthen practical cooperation for the shared prosperity of both sides and on fostering solidarity to jointly address global challenges, including supply chain disruptions.”
South Korea Foreign Ministry Spox
The Foreign Ministers Meeting will be co-chaired by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Ablakwa, whose country is also the Vice-Chair of the AU this year.
During the first half of the day, participants review the status of South Korea and Africa cooperation centered on trade and investment. Then, in the second half, the delegates will focus on joint responses to global challenges, such as risks brought about by #ClimateChange, disruptions of Global Supply Chains.
For the Business Forum, some 300 entrepreneurs and government officials will gather to discuss ways to expand trade and investment, while strengthening industrial cooperation and building resilient supply chains. During the event, Minister Cho will hold bilateral talks with all African foreign ministers to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Seoul sees the growing strategic significance of Africa, in the context of the perduring Middle East conflict and intensifying global competition, whilst the emerging continent exhibits sustained economic growth thanks to its abundant resources and large youthful population.
The inaugural South Korea – Africa Summit was held in 2024 and the next Summit for heads of state or government is scheduled for 2029. The senior officials meeting is thus held mid-way between two Summits to take stock of the progress of the cooperation and reorient if necessary in light of current issues.