Park reveals cooperation initiative for Africa

President Park Geun-hye delivers a speech at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Friday. / Joint press corps

By Kim Hyo-jin

President Park Geun-hye unveiled on Friday Korea’s Africa initiative that will offer education and vocational training for thousands of young people in the continent over the next five years.

“Korea would like to share its wealth of development experience that it has learned through trial and error over the past half century,” Park said in a speech at the headquarters of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.

Park, who visited Ethiopia as part of a 12-day, four-nation trip, became the first Korean president to make a speech at AU headquarters.

Under the initiative, Seoul will provide 6,000 African people with education or vocational training opportunities in Korea or Africa and it will also send 4,000 volunteers to Africa over the next five years.

During the speech, Park also introduced the government’s new development project, called “Korean Aid,” set to begin in Uganda and Kenya as well as Ethiopia, where it will provide health services, food and Korean cultural content to locals.

The President also said Korea will strive for increased cooperation with Africa.

“If Africa’s abundant natural and human resources are combined with South Korea’s technology and capital,” she said, “it will create a synergy and provide a substantial boost to the continent’s economic development.”

Her speech came as Korea seeks to increase economic ties with the continent.

Ahead of her speech, Park met with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the AU Commission.