Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
INTERVIEW Gabonese ambassador fights misperceptions on Africa
Carlos Victor Boungou, Gabonese ambassador to Korea, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the country's embassy in Itaewon, Seoul, Aug. 10. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea-Africa Forum to discuss post-COVID-19 strategy in December
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Gabon is a country in Central Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and on the Equator. It was one of the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with Korea back in 1962, while opening an embassy in Seoul in 1975.
The Central African country celebrates its Independence Day, Aug. 17, and Ambassador of Gabon to Korea Carlos Victor Boungou shared how the country commemorates this in an interview with The Korea Times, Aug. 10.
"Gabon got independence from the French on Aug. 17, 1960 and this year marks the 61st anniversary of Gabon's independence," Boungou said. "In terms of celebration, what we do at the highest point is the military parade, which attests the state of the nation, the solidity of the institutions and the stability of the country."
Gabon's president also seizes the opportunity to award honorary distinctions to citizens who have achieved high merits in various fields.
“Independence Day offers the opportunity for the president to award honorary distinctions to dignitaries, soldiers, politicians, civil servants and to all people in recognition of loyalty in serving the nation or for particular achievements,” he said.
Some of the medals are awarded to foreigners who have played roles in the development of Gabon and in the reinforcement of bilateral relations between Gabon and the country of origin. They have included some Korean nationals in the past, including taekwondo master Park Sang-chul, who served as the head of presidential security of Gabon for over 30 years.
Gabon is a country rich in natural resources and the bilateral volume of trade between Gabon and Korea has increased significantly over the last decade from $41 million in 2010 to $571.2 million in 2018.
"When you take a closer look at the trade exchanges between Gabon and Korea, you will see that the largest part of the trade between the two countries is made of crude oil as Korea is one of the largest importers from Gabon. When it comes to Gabon's imports from Korea, it includes machinery, cars and electric appliances," the ambassador said.
"From an institutional standpoint, the Korean government provides significant support to Gabon in its path of development. Korea offers capacity building programs through KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) and Gabon students benefit from the Korean government's scholarship programs."
The ambassador puts his effort into raising awareness of and promoting Gabon in Korea.
"The role of a diplomatic mission is very important in promotion of trade and business relations. So the Gabonese embassy here has been working hard in promoting Gabon as the destination in terms of raw materials," he said.
"When you look for a country to do business, there should be a reasonable degree of peace and stability in the country and Gabon is a very stable place in the African continent that has known some degree of instability in the past. Fortunately, the situation has been improving over the years, but for a long time Gabon has remained very stable."
Ambassador Boungou also emphasized the importance of political dialogue, especially at the highest level, as it signals progress in bilateral relations.
"When you see a political dialogue among the leaders, it tends to contribute to the choice of a business destination. Having said that, it is common knowledge in the minds of many Koreans that out of many African countries, Gabon is one of the countries that visited Korea the most ― the former Gabonese President Omar Bongo visited Korea four times from 1970 to 2007. The current President Ali Bongo Ondimba also visited Korea two times (with his father and former president) and visited again as president in 2010 and 2012," he said.
Cityscape of Gabonese capital Libreville / gettyimagesbank
Leading ICT country in Africa
The ambassador sees a large potential in the future Gabon-Korea relations as Korea has been present in Gabon in the fields such as information and communication technology (ICT) for a long time now.
"Korea has contributed a lot to the development of ICT in Gabon. Even before the (COVID-19) pandemic, the Gabon government had sensed the importance of ICT and they looked around the globe to find the best partner to go with on the path of development in the ICT sector and Korea actually was the best partner," he said.
The ambassador said Korea is in a position of comparative advantage as the country went through rapid development and was in the same position as most African states are now just a few decades ago.
"Korea is best qualified to bring its own example of development to the Africans ― if I was able to do it, you are able to do it too," he said.
Gabon and Korea have been cooperating in an e-government implementation project, conducted by Korean companies KT Network and Samsung C&T since 2008.
“Gabon initiated an e-government project to endow the public administration with its own secure, efficient and stable infrastructure and communications network, first in the capital city Libreville and then throughout the national territory, under the name of the Network of the Gabonese Administration (RAG),” Boungou said.
The efforts are bearing fruit amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the technology connects people despite social distancing measures and lockdowns.
"People were able to communicate and work from home because they had the internet. So, the e-government project by Samsung and KT has been very, very important. It has also helped to diversify the economy and create jobs in other areas. Those are the advantages of the e-government projects and it falls under the umbrella of the bilateral relations between Gabon and Korea because Korea is the main provider of internet solutions in Gabon."
Gabon invested in the field of ICT to become a hub in the central African region and Korea's contribution to the development has been crucial. In 2017, KT won a contract worth 9 million euros to build a fiber optic network connecting Gabon with neighboring countries.
"This Central African Backbone Project is in line with the overarching target to connect the Central African region in order to diversify the economies, create jobs and democratize the use of information and communication technologies."
A forest elephant in the Loango National Park in Gabon / gettyimagesbank
Representing Africa in Korea
Boungou is the longest serving ambassador in Korea, who will commemorate his 10 years here by November, witnessing Korea growing as a middle and global power.
“The international role of Korea is what I find the most interesting ― many developments in numerous sectors, including Official Development Assistance (ODA), global health, global economic governance and the leadership in ICT and innovation. Korea's position as one of the world's most innovative nations is a remarkable achievement considering the major transformations that have taken place here over a reasonably short period of time,” he said.
Currently, Boungou serves as the dean of the African Group of Ambassadors as well as the Seoul Diplomatic Corps.
“As Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in Korea, my main task is to showcase the African continent in the best possible way here in Korea. Though each African embassy focuses on its country's bilateral relations with Korea, it appears that not all African countries are represented here in Seoul,” he said.
“In this regard, the African Group of Ambassadors feels the responsibility to take the continent's interests at heart. Within the framework, the chiefs of missions go beyond their bilateral activities to deal with multilateral questions in connection with the African continent such as the African Union (AU) agenda and the Korea-Africa partnership.”
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution approaches, geographical distances should no longer constitute hindering factors to the promotion of cooperation or development between countries.
“For sure, the Korean public knows very little about the African countries. Unfortunately, one of the biggest misperceptions of Africa in Korea is that many believe that Africa is one large country. Africa is not a country; it is a continent with 54 countries with differences in cultures and other features. African ambassadors in Korea are actually endeavoring to change that mindset,” he said.
The African Group of Ambassadors is one of the most active diplomatic groups in Seoul, including formal receptions welcoming and bidding farewell to incoming and outgoing African ambassadors and monthly meetings.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of social distancing measures, most of these events have been cancelled so far. But African ambassadors have been able to meet occasionally to discuss questions such as the partnership with the Korea-African Foundation and the forthcoming Korea-Africa Forum, due to take place in Seoul in December 2021,” Boungou said.
The Korea-Africa Forum, held every five years, is the main tool that underpins Korea's strategy in Africa. Since 2006, Korea and the AU have agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of economic issues, human resources, science and technology, youth development, women's empowerment, peace and security.
“Bearing in mind the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected almost all aspects of human life, the fifth Korea-Africa Forum in Seoul will be under the theme of Strengthening the Korea-Africa Partnership in the Post-COVID-19 World. Occurring at a significant moment, the fifth forum will constitute a major test for the future of the partnership,” the ambassador said.