Congratulatory Remarks

by

H.E. Cho Tae-yul


Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea 


Africa Day, Seoul

May 24, 2013

Ambassador Desmond Akawor of Nigeria, Acting Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in Seoul,
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here with you today at this special event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the African Union (AU).  First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the remarkable achievements you have made over the past five decades in building a free, stable and integrated Africa.

Indeed, the founding fathers of the OAU successfully spearheaded efforts to liberate Africa from colonization. But they did not stop at nation-building, which in itself is an extraordinary achievement; they went on further to pursue the dream of achieving a peaceful, prosperous and united Africa.

Being inspired by their dream, Africa has continuously grown to new heights not only in terms of political democratization and governance, but in economic development as well. In the coming decade, Africa is expected to maintain an economic growth rate of around 6 percent annually. It is also widely recognized that Africa’s abundant human and natural resources, cultural diversity, and potential for energy generation, among others, present huge opportunities for the present and the future. Some refer to Africa as the last remaining growth engine on earth, while recent publications, such as the Economist, label Africa the “Rising Continent”.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Like most African countries, Korea has experienced colonialism, poverty and civil war. Our shared experiences bind our two peoples closely together. And the Korean government is committed to further strengthening this bond, taking initiatives such as the Korea-Africa Forum that was launched in 2006. 

As you know, President Park Geun-hye met with a group of African Ambassadors in March, less than a month after her inauguration. At the meeting, she shared her commitment to the development of Africa and sharing Korea’s experiences in three areas – human resources, industrial, and rural development. The Saemaul Movement, in particular, which helped modernize the rural Korean economy in the 1970s, will not only serve as a good model for rural development, but also provide inspiration for the African countries in their move towards an Africa that is economically self-sustaining and vibrant. 

In fact, without foreign aid, Korea could not have successfully transformed itself into a country as it stands today. We are more than committed to paying back the international community in kind, especially to Africa.  While sharing our development experiences with our African partners, we plan to scale up our foreign aid to 0.25 percent of our GNI by 2015. 

On top of this, the Korean government is going to create a wisemen’s club that is called the “Friends of Africa” with a view to promoting the Korean people’s overall understanding of the continent. "Friends of Africa" will be composed of leading figures in many areas such as journalism, culture and art, medical service, business and civil society. An official ceremony for appointing its members will take place on May 27th with the presence of my boss, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. All the distinguished Ambassadors present here today are invited and I am confident that you will join us at this important event.

I would like to conclude my brief remarks by offering once again my warmest congratulations to all of you on this special occasion of Africa Day. We in Korea are committed to working closely together with our African partners to achieve peace and prosperity across the Continent and beyond.  

Thank you very much.