Korea, African Union discuss cooperation fund, broader ties

Q: What areas of cooperation did Korea and the African Union discuss during their policy consultations?

The discussions covered trade, investment, healthcare, youth and women’s empowerment, climate change, and peace and security. The two sides also discussed managing the Korea-AU Cooperation Fund.

Q: Who led the Korea-AU policy consultations in Addis Ababa, and when were they held?

Chung Kwang-yong, the foreign ministry’s director-general for African and Middle Eastern affairs, and Willy Nyamitwe, chairperson of the AU’s Permanent Representatives Committee, led their delegations. The seventh round took place in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, local time.

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Summary

Korea and the African Union discussed managing their joint cooperation fund and expanding ties during policy consultations in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (local time). Chung Kwang-yong and Willy Nyamitwe led their delegations at the seventh round of consultations. The sides discussed cooperation in trade, investment, healthcare, youth and women’s empowerment, climate change, and peace and security. Korea shared updates on its Africa projects and proposed more high-level exchanges, while the AU welcomed Seoul’s commitment and pledged support for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Key Facts

The African Union was established in 2002 and has 54 members.
Chung Kwang-yong is the foreign ministry’s director-general for African and Middle Eastern affairs.
Willy Nyamitwe chairs the African Union’s Permanent Representatives Committee.
The discussions included ways to manage the Korea-AU Cooperation Fund and expand cooperation across several fields.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 4, 2026 3:01 pm KST

Chung Kwang-yong, fifth from right, director-general for African and Middle Eastern affairs at the ministry, posing for a photo with officials of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Tuesday. Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Korea and the African Union (AU) have discussed ways to manage their joint cooperation fund and expand economic, healthcare and other forms of cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The discussions took place during the seventh round of policy consultations in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (local time), with Chung Kwang-yong, director-general for African and Middle Eastern affairs at the ministry, and Willy Nyamitwe, chairperson of the AU's Permanent Representatives Committee, leading their delegations, according to the ministry.

Established in 2002, the 54-member AU aims to promote African integration, peace and security.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to manage the Korea-AU Cooperation Fund and expand substantive cooperation in trade, investment, healthcare, youth and women's empowerment, climate change and peace and security, among other fields.

Korea shared updates on its cooperation projects with Africa and proposed expanding ties through high-level exchanges.

The AU welcomed Seoul's continued commitment and pledged to support mutually beneficial cooperation, the ministry said.

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