South Korea Aims to Be Africa’s New Partner of Choice

Each year, more and more countries are recognizing Africa's importance and striving to build strong relationships with nations across the continent. For both global and regional powers, having a comprehensive Africa agenda has become a strategic necessity in foreign policy.

While Western nations, which have often pursued post-colonialist and imposing policies towards Africa since its independence, are losing credibility in the eyes of many African leaders, the continent is showing a growing inclination to cooperate with new partners. South Korea, racing to catch up with its Asian competitors—China, Japan, Russia, and India—is preparing to become one of those new partners for Africa.

To strengthen ties with the "Rising Continent," South Korea hosted its first-ever Korea-Africa Summit in June under the theme "The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity." The summit was attended by 25 heads of state and representatives from 48 African countries.

The History of South Korea-Africa Relations

The origins of South Korea-Africa relations date back to the 1950s and the Korean War. During Korea's difficult times, even though they could not officially be parties to the conflict, several African nations offered support. Ethiopia deployed its Imperial Guard, and South Africa sent air force squadrons. Liberia and Egypt provided logistical support, and young Moroccan soldiers fought for South Korea as part of a French unit.

South Korea became a member of the African Development Bank in 1982 and gained observer status in the African Union in 2005. In 2006, aiming to build closer ties with continental nations, the Asian country launched an initiative called the "Korea Initiative for Africa's Development."

South Korea’s "Africa New Era Forum" in 2013 and its "Comprehensive Cooperation Plan with Africa" in 2016 laid the groundwork for a mutually beneficial, cooperative partnership for both Korea and Africa. By 2018, a Korea-Africa Foundation had been established under the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Finally, at the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit in June 2024, a platform was created to foster cooperation with African countries in a wide range of fields, including business, agriculture, forestry and desertification, vaccines and health security, tourism, and energy.

"Harambi" and a $24 Billion Package

Of course, like Western countries and other global powers, South Korea aims to benefit from Africa's strategic minerals and gain the support of African nations in United Nations votes (particularly on issues concerning North Korea). However, unlike Western nations, it is approaching African leaders with more respect and promising more generous investments as it pursues these goals.

At the summit, it was a highly notable gesture when President Yoon Suk Yeol, highlighting the shared struggles against a colonial past and poverty, used the word "harambi" while addressing the African leaders.

The word "harambi," used by Kenya's founding leader Jomo Kenyatta, means "to pull together" or "to act together" in Swahili, a language spoken by nearly 200 million people in East Africa. By using this word, the South Korean leader demonstrated that he had done his homework on Africa.

Yoon Suk Yeol announced a $24 billion package for Africa. While $10 billion in development aid is planned to be provided by 2030, another $14 billion of this package was earmarked for investments by South Korean companies. Considering that Italy, one of the continent's former colonizers, recently announced its Mattei Plan for Africa with a budget of only 5.5 billion euros, it's clear that South Korea is opening its purse strings much wider.

The Competition for Rare Elements

South Korea is now one of the world's largest energy buyers. It is also home to Hyundai Motor Group, the world's fifth-largest automobile manufacturer, as well as leading brands like Kia, Samsung, and LG.

Partnering with Africa, which holds 30% of the world's reserves of critical minerals like chromium, cobalt, and manganese—essential for the automotive sector—is extremely vital for South Korea. This is because currently, South Korea purchases a vast majority of these strategic minerals not directly from Africa, but from China. The increasing geopolitical tensions between China and Korea make it imperative for South Korea to move closer to African nations.

Should South Korea succeed in increasing its influence in Africa and gaining access to these critical minerals, it could lead to a shift in the global balance of power on the continent, challenging China's current monopoly on the production of rare earth elements.

Why Does Africa Need Cooperation with Other Countries?

Although incredibly rich in strategic elements, Africa lacks the necessary technology and resources for mineral exploration and processing, making it dependent on support from technologically advanced nations.

Because most minerals on the continent are exported in their raw, unprocessed state, African countries see minimal gains from their vast natural wealth. While global powers monopolize large mining operations, African nations are unable to fully benefit from their own resources. The ability to process minerals within the country of origin would provide Africa with more revenue and employment opportunities, highlighting the critical importance of technological capabilities.

However, the equitable approach of countries offering cooperation in mining and resource extraction is crucial. The problems, conflicts, and human rights violations Africa often experiences during the extraction of its natural resources—despite being famous for this very wealth—are frequently overlooked.

Is Africa Being Cautious?

In recent years, African countries have adopted a clear stance against condescending and imposing Western nations. But are they being cautious about new partners?

For the desired cooperation to be a true win-win, it is essential that Africa and its people receive the value they deserve and that exploitative practices end.

A common issue is that global and regional powers often treat the continent of 54 nations as a single country. At summits they organize, the focus is usually on the host country's goals and demands, with African leaders rarely given a real voice. On this point, South Korea took a positive step by holding one-on-one meetings with several African leaders before and during the summit.

South Korea, which achieved economic prosperity after its own fight against poverty and has rapidly advanced in technology, seems to offer a different narrative from other global powers. Only time will tell what path it will follow in its promised role as a model for Africa, leveraging shared colonial experiences to foster mutual progress and cooperation, as emphasized in its rhetoric.

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Sources:
https://2024rokasummit.kr/?menuno=1
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/first-korea-africa-summit-another-missed-opportunity-for-africa
https://thediplomat.com/2024/06/south-korea-africa-summit-a-disappointing-outcome/

This article was originally published in Independent Türkçe, on June 26,2024.