The Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of South Africa

I am Ambassador Dong-han Yang of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of South Africa.

To begin with, the Republic of South Africa is one of the leading countries in promoting cooperation among countries on the African continent, and is playing an important role in global affairs as a member of G20, as well as a member of BRICS. Also, South Africa is spearheading efforts to facilitate and accelerate economic growth of African countries, and is the largest trading country in Africa and one of the largest consumer markets.

South Africa is rich in minerals, including manganese, chromium and many others. South Africa has developed a relatively robust manufacturing capability and has a number of world famous tourist destinations. In this regard, I am confident that our two countries have substantial potential for collaboration across a number of sectors, thereby solidifying our key cooperative partnership.

Above all, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary since the official revocation of Apartheid in South Africa. I am confident that the journey forward will build upon the remarkable achievements rooted in tolerance and reconciliation since 1994, paving the way for continued progress.

I would like to underline that South Africa deployed a fighter squadron to Korea during the Korean War, thereby contributing to defending the liberal democracy of Korea. Building on this foundation, Korea and South Africa have consistently developed amicable cooperative ties. Since commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship in 2022, Korea and South Africa have collaborated in order to open a new chapter of cooperative ties between the two countries across diverse areas.

In particular, Korea will host the Korea Africa Summit meeting in Korea in 2024 to lay the foundation for mutually beneficial and sustainable cooperation between Korea and African countries. Furthermore, South Africa will host the G20 Summit meeting in 2025. Against this backdrop, I hope that the cooperative ties will be further expanded and deepened in the years and decades to come.

Moreover, South Africa is the largest trading partner of Korea among African countries, serving as a gateway to expand cooperative ties with the African continent. Korea is making the best efforts to move forward on expanding cooperation with South Africa in economic and trade affairs. In the process, the Korean government is closely cooperating with Korean companies in order to help them build up and grow business opportunities in South Africa and beyond.

Finally, the Korean community in South Africa is the largest one on the African continent. The Korean Embassy and the Korean community in South Africa will work together to show the attractiveness of Korea and K-culture and raise awareness of the importance of bilateral ties in every segment of the South African society. In addition, the Korean Embassy will also do its best to secure and protect the safety and interests of the Korean community as well as the Korean visitors traveling to South Africa.

Once again, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for your visit to our Homepage.

Thank you.