Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin hosted the plaque unveiling ceremony for the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Office (hereinafter referred to as “Preparatory Office”) and a luncheon at Seohee Hall, located on the 18th floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, on Monday, November 13, 2023. Participants included both resident and non-resident officials of the African diplomatic corps, members of the National Assembly, co-chair of the National Assembly’s Forum for Africa’s New Era Sul Hoon (Democratic Party of Korea), and other stakeholders from Korea and abroad.
At the dinner for African Ambassadors held under the title of "Korea and Africa, Together with Africa" on November 23, 2023, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced his initiative to host the Korea-Africa Summit, which marks the largest multilateral meeting of his term. President Yoon emphasized his administration's commitment to fostering unprecedentedly close ties with not only neighboring countries but also countries across the globe, in accordance with the Korean government’s vision of becoming a Global Pivotal State (GPS). In alignment with this vision, Korea will host the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit in 2024, aiming to promote future-oriented and sustainable cooperation with Africa.
In his welcoming remarks, Foreign Minister Park highlighted the Korean government's earnest preparations over the past year following President Yoon's announcement of the Korea-Africa Summit. He stressed that the plaque unveiling ceremony for the Preparatory Office serves as a tangible demonstration of the Korean government's commitment to enhancing cooperation with Africa, not merely in words but also in actions.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Park urged the African diplomatic corps to actively contribute creative ideas and collaborative projects to ensure that the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit yields mutually prosperous outcomes, tapping into the respective strengths of Korea and Africa. In response, the African diplomatic corps in Korea expressed appreciation for the Korean government's sincere preparations for the Summit and pledged to continue active communication to ensure its success.
Additionally, Foreign Minister Park outlined the Korean government's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, calling on 54 African countries to support the city. He underscored that the 2030 World Expo in Busan—a symbol of Korea's economic development—presents an opportunity to find solutions for humanity’s common challenges and share Korea’s economic growth experiences and insights that enabled its transition from a developing to a developed country. He explained that the event would become "global solution platform" that can bolster cooperation between Korea and Africa.
After the plaque unveiling ceremony, Foreign Minister Park hosted a luncheon where the African diplomatic corps in Korea warmly received the dynamic performances by the Ambiguous Dance Company and the Lively Crew, dance groups that blend Korean traditions with modern sensibilities.
After the Cabinet’s approval to host the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit in April and with the enactment of the Presidential Decree to establish the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit Preparatory Office in July, the Preparatory Office was officially inaugurated in August with Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won’s lead. Currently, the office is diligently preparing for the Summit.
The plaque unveiling ceremony for the Preparatory Office, coupled with the luncheon, served to heighten awareness and understanding of Africa both domestically and internationally, ahead of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit. Additionally, these events reiterated the sincere dedication of the Korean government to bolster a forward-looking partnership between Korea and Africa.