South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (center) speaks with Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio as participants take their positions for a group photo during the 2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting at Lotte Hotel Seoul in central Seoul on Monday. Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is seen at left. (Yonhap) South Korea on Monday hosted its first ministerial meeting with 50 African nations, bringing representatives from the countries together as Seoul seeks to strengthen ties with a continent of growing strategic importance amid global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty.Held under the theme "Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Challenges," the gathering drew delegates from 50 out of 54 African countries as well as four regional organizations, including the African Union and the African Development Bank.Cheong Wa Dae said President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to meet with more than 20 ministerial-level delegates from African countries on Tuesday afternoon to discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation between South Korea and Africa.Opening the meeting, South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun highlighted Africa's growing strategic importance amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and uncertainty in global supply chains.Cho said the world is facing increasingly complex challenges, including supply chain disruptions and growing concerns over energy and food security, as the global order undergoes rapid change."With continued instability in the Middle East and uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Africa's geopolitical and economic importance is becoming increasingly evident," he said. "Closer cooperation between Korea and Africa is more important than ever."Cho also pointed to Lee's efforts to strengthen ties with the continent, noting that the South Korean president has held talks with the leaders of key African countries, including Egypt, South Africa and Ghana, since taking office last year.Describing Africa as "the continent of the future," Cho noted its young population, strategic location at the crossroads of major maritime routes linking the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, and its vast reserves of critical minerals.He also said South Korea is prepared to share its development experience with African partners, recalling the country's transformation from a war-ravaged nation with a per capita gross national income of just $67 into a thriving economy and democracy.Quoting an East African proverb — "When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion" — Cho said Korea and Africa could better address shared challenges by pooling their respective strengths and experiences.Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, whose country currently serves as vice chair of the African Union, emphasized in his opening remarks the need to elevate Korea-Africa ties beyond traditional development cooperation and toward deeper economic partnerships.He also welcomed Seoul's decision to proceed with the meeting despite recent Ebola-related concerns in parts of Africa, describing it as a sign of confidence in the continent and a rejection of broad generalizations about health risks across the region.During the discussions, delegates explored ways to strengthen economic ties in areas such as trade, investment, technology and supply chains, while also examining opportunities for broader cooperation on issues ranging from climate change and public health to peacebuilding and development, according to the Foreign Ministry.A joint statement is expected to be adopted at the conclusion of the meeting, outlining future directions for Korea-Africa cooperation based on shared prosperity, economic collaboration and joint responses to global challenges.The ministerial meeting is expected to be accompanied by a series of bilateral engagements between South Korea and the participating African countries, as Seoul seeks to translate the gathering into concrete diplomatic and economic partnerships.Those efforts will continue Tuesday at the Korea-Africa Business Forum, where government officials, business leaders and experts are set to explore opportunities for deeper trade and investment ties, industrial collaboration and supply-chain resilience.The forum will feature keynote speeches by Sung Kim, president of Hyundai Motor Company and a former US ambassador to South Korea, and Wamkele Keabetswe Mene, secretary-general of the African Continental Free Trade Area.The meeting reflects Seoul's broader push to strengthen its presence in Africa, a region that has attracted growing international attention because of its expanding consumer markets, abundant reserves of critical minerals and increasingly important role in global supply chains. South Korea has maintained diplomatic relations with all 54 African UN member states since establishing ties with South Sudan in 2011.