Officials discuss strategic cooperation amid global challenges at Korea-Africa business forum

Hundreds of business leaders and government officials from Korea and African nations attended a business forum Tuesday to discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation and expand industrial partnerships, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The 2026 Korea-Africa Business Forum, organized as a sideline event to the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting held the previous day, took place under the theme of “Korea-Africa Business Partnership: The Future of Shared Prosperity and Joint Growth.”

About 300 representatives from businesses and governments in Korea and 50 African countries, out of the 54 invited, attended the forum, where keynote speeches were delivered by Sung Kim, president of Hyundai Motor and former U.S. ambassador to Korea, and Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, secretary general of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The event was hosted by the foreign ministry and jointly organized by Yonhap News Agency, the Korea-Africa Foundation, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and the Korea International Trade Association.

Following Monday's ministerial meeting, Korea and Africa adopted a joint statement calling for stronger economic and strategic cooperation, including in supply chains and critical minerals, amid the Middle East conflict and other global challenges.

On the sidelines of the gathering, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has held separate bilateral meetings with his African counterparts to discuss issues of mutual interest, according to the ministry.

President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to meet later in the day with more than 20 ministerial-level officials from participating African countries and international organizations, the Blue House said.

Yonhap