Korea seeks minerals, supply chain cooperation from African nations

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, center, speaks with Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, right, before a group photo session during the 2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting at Lotte Hotel Seoul in central Seoul, Monday. At left is Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. Yonhap

Korea is seeking deeper ties with African nations as it looks for new partners in critical minerals and supply chains amid growing uncertainties over global trade, energy security and geopolitical tensions.

The effort was highlighted at the 2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul, where officials discussed expanding cooperation in key industries and holding a second Korea-Africa Summit in 2029.

The meeting brought together representatives from 50 African countries and four regional organizations — the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The gathering marked the first time Korea has independently invited African countries and major regional organizations to a ministerial-level meeting focused on Africa. It also served as a follow-up to the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit held in 2024.

“We gather today at a critical juncture where the global order is rapidly shifting,” Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in his opening remarks. “The world is facing multifaceted challenges across various sectors, such as supply chains, energy and food security.”

Cho linked the growing importance of Africa to broader changes in the international landscape.

“Amid continued instability in the Middle East and uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, African countries are also gaining increasing geopolitical and economic significance on the global stage,” he said.

“Africa is widely regarded as the continent of the future, as it is the world's youngest continent with enormous growth potential.”

The minister noted that Africa sits at the crossroads of major maritime routes connecting the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea via the Gulf of Aden. He also pointed to the continent's vast natural resources, saying Africa is estimated to hold around 30 percent of the world's critical mineral reserves.

Those resources have become increasingly important as governments and companies seek stable supplies of minerals essential for batteries, semiconductors and other advanced industries.

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, whose country serves as vice chair of the African Union this year and who co-chaired the meeting with Cho, called for stronger ties between the two sides.

“We need to move beyond traditional models of cooperation toward transformative economic collaboration,” Ablakwa said.

He said Africa and Korea possess complementary strengths and significant potential for mutually beneficial cooperation, expressing hope that the meeting would build on the momentum created by the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit in 2024.

Cho said the Lee Jae Myung administration has also placed greater emphasis on cooperation with Africa.

He noted that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa became the first foreign leader with whom Lee held a face-to-face summit after taking office, when they met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meeting in Canada. He added that Lee visited Egypt and South Africa during his first year in office and met with Ghana's president during the latter's visit to Korea in March.

According to Cho, those engagements reflect the administration's growing focus on Africa as a diplomatic and economic partner.

The ministerial meeting reviewed projects launched after the 2024 summit while exploring new areas of cooperation.

Cho said this year's meeting would provide the basis for discussions on a second Korea-Africa Summit.

“Based on the outcomes of today's meeting, Korea and Africa will begin discussions on holding the 2029 Korea-Africa Summit,” he said.

The meeting was organized around two main sessions.

The first focused on strengthening economic cooperation and promoting shared prosperity through trade, investment, science and technology, and food security. The second addressed joint responses to global challenges, including climate change, health issues, peace and security.

Participants adopted a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to expanding cooperation in areas including trade, infrastructure, digital techonology, food security and critical menerals.

The statement also welcomed Korea's proposal to convene the next Korea-Africa Summit in 2029 and called for continued consultations on a second Korea-Africa Critical Minerals Dialogue aimed at promoting stable and responsible supply chains.

A business forum will be held Tuesday on the sidelines of the meeting, bringing together business leaders, government officials and diplomats from both sides.

The government said it hopes the forum will help translate diplomatic engagement into practical cooperation in trade, investment and industrial development.