Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, center, speaks with Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, right, before a group photo session during the 2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting at Lotte Hotel Seoul in central Seoul, Monday. At left is Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. Yonhap
Korea is seeking deeper ties with African nations as it looks for new partners in critical minerals and supply chains amid growing uncertainties over global trade, energy security and geopolitical tensions.
The effort was highlighted at the 2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul, where officials discussed expanding cooperation in key industries and holding a second Korea-Africa Summit in 2029.
The meeting brought together representatives from 50 African countries and four regional organizations — the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The gathering marked the first time Korea has independently invited African countries and major regional organizations to a ministerial-level meeting focused on Africa. It also served as a follow-up to the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit held in 2024.
