The 8th Seoul Dialogue on Africa Successfully Held

On Thursday, 11 December, the Korea-Africa Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, successfully hosted the 8th Seoul Dialogue on Africa (SDA) at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul.

Held under the theme “Reimagining the Future: Korea?Africa Strategic Partnership in an Era of Global Transformation,” this year’s Dialogue provided an in-depth discussion on future directions for cooperation between Korea and Africa amid a rapidly changing international environment.

The event brought together key figures from Korea and abroad, including Jung Eui-hye, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lee Heon-seung, Chair of the Korea National Assembly Africa Forum, and members of the African diplomatic corps in Korea. In his opening declaration, Chairman Kim Young-chae emphasized that the significance of strategic cooperation between Korea and Africa is growing as both navigate a period of global transformation.

The main sessions focused on ▲ Session 1: “Africa’s Strategic Choices in a Changing Global Geopolitical Landscape and Korea’s Partnership Approach,” and ▲ Session 2: “Expanding Economic Cooperation Strategies between Africa and Korea toward Integration.” Discussions covered Africa’s rising geopolitical importance, trends in economic integration, and Korea’s strategic cooperation approaches.

Through the Dialogue, both sides shared a common understanding of the need for more practical and balanced cooperation models in response to global changes. The Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to further expanding its cooperation platform by working closely with government bodies, academia, international organizations, and the private sector.

Download presentation materials and the program book: https://tinyurl.com/28zzdcak

△ Chairman Kim Young-chae declared the opening of the 8th Seoul Dialogue on Africa, expressing gratitude to participants and encouraging exchanges between the African diplomatic corps and speakers, while sharing expectations for future cooperation.

△ Deputy Minister Jung Eui-hye stated that Korea would deepen its strategic partnership with Africa by leveraging the launch of the AfCFTA and Africa’s resource and market potential, and would concretize cooperation in areas such as AI, renewable energy, and critical minerals ahead of the Korea?Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in June 2026.

△ Chafik Rachadi, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Morocco to Korea, emphasized that Africa and Korea must jointly design a sustainable and equitable future as strategic partners sharing trust and vision amid a reconfiguration of the global order and Africa’s acquisition of a permanent G20 seat through the African Union.

△ Lee Heon-seung, Chair of the Korea National Assembly Africa Forum, noted that Africa is emerging as a key actor in the global order and stressed that Korea should build a long-term strategic partnership with Africa as a reliable, conflict-free partner based on its industrial and technological capabilities.

△ Egosa Emmanuel Osaghae, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), assessed that Korea could expand a mutually beneficial partnership with Africa by moving beyond aid-centered cooperation toward a new model encompassing norms, institutions, and capacity building.

△ Group photo of distinguished domestic and international participants at the event.

△ Oh Joon, Chair of Save the Children Korea and former Permanent Representative of Korea to the United Nations, served as moderator for the first session.

△ Khabele Matlosa, Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Dialogue, emphasized that Africa is no longer a peripheral player but a core strategic actor amid the reconfiguration of the global order.

△ Thierry Vircoulon, Senior Researcher at the Sub-Saharan Africa Center of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), noted that Africa is strengthening its diplomatic and economic autonomy amid multipolarity and the rise of the Global South, calling on Korea to develop a realistic and long-term Africa strategy.

△ Kim Sung-soo, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Hanyang University, highlighted that Korea could play a strategic role as an “Honest Broker” by leveraging its democratic and industrialization experience and trust capital in cooperation with the Global South, particularly Africa.

△ Kais Darragi, Ambassador of Tunisia to Korea, moderated the second session.

△ Seong Hwa-su, Director of the Africa Division II at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained the implementation status and institutional progress of the AfCFTA and presented pathways for Korea to support its implementation through public?private cooperation and finance?infrastructure linkages.

△ Michael Akume, Consultant for Data Management and Model Development at African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), emphasized the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs) as key financial and institutional pillars for AfCFTA implementation and highlighted the potential of trilateral cooperation among Korea, MDBs, and African countries.

△ Lim Jang-hee, Planning Director at Moravian & Co. and former Director of the KOICA Kenya Office, proposed a shift from debt-driven development to an FDI-centered industrialization strategy and suggested building investment-friendly cooperation models utilizing Korea’s technological and institutional strengths.