The long-standing bilateral relations between Ghana and the Republic of Korea was further strengthened with the commemoration of the 4,355th National Foundation Day of Korea in Accra.
Relations between Ghana and Korea date back over four decades with fruitful cooperation in various fields, including political, economic, and cultural since the establishment of diplomatic relations in November 1977.
Korea remains one of Ghana’s most important partners in trade and investment cooperation with long-standing friendship.
The 4,355th Foundation Day celebration, characterised by traditional Korean performances, was attended by Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Diplomatic Corps, Traditional and Religious leaders at the residence of the Korean Ambassador, Mr Lim Jung-Taek.
The night of celebration unfolded with displays by the World Percussion Group “Gorhy” from Korea which delivered spellbinding and electrifying performances to the continuous applause of patrons.
Celebrated each year on October 9, the Korea National Foundation Day commemorates the historic founding of the first Korean Kingdom.
Mr Lim Jung-Taek, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ghana, noted that Ghana and Korea had witnessed unprecedented high-level exchanges, symbolising the ever-strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
He said the flourishing relationship between Korea and Ghana on economic cooperation, had led to a series of engagements with various businesses in Ghana.
Mr Jung-Taek said the friendship between the countries was reaffirmed in the automation industry with the construction of assembly plants of major Korean car companies, Kia Motors and Hyundai Motors, in Ghana.
Moreover, the Ambassador said, Korea’s efforts in Ghana’s commitment to become a regional economic hub for the entire African continent, led to the financial contribution of two million dollars in 2023 to the operations of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“I believe that this contribution will facilitate the swift implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and help the African people realise their dream of a common market by the year 2023,” he said.
Mr Jung-Taek expressed appreciation to the Government of Ghana for its continued commitment to and support for the safety and security of the Gulf of Guinea as no Korean national and fishing company had been a victim of such attacks or kidnappings since October 2021.
In the area of development cooperation, he said, Korea was ready to do more for Ghana as its government agencies including Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Korean Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), Korea EXIM Bank and Korea Programme for International Cooperation in Agricultural Technology (KOPIA) had deepened and expanded their activities to support Ghana’s development in various fields.
“Their efforts include the improvement of the regional health care system, the advancement of the rice value chain, the modernisation of tax administration and so on…The Korean Government started a rice cultivation project in Dawhenya, Greater Accra Region to support the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.”
He noted that the Korean Government would invest in that project with around 30 million dollars until 2027 as Korean Development Cooperation agencies continued to implement projects for the socio-economic development of Ghana.
The Ambassador appealed to Ghana to support Korea’s bid to host the World EXPO 2030 in Busan on the theme, “Transforming Our World, Navigating Towards a Better Future.”
The Expo will provide opportunities to all participants to recognise global challenges and discover a new way of life for humankind while showcasing the environment’s utilisation of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things, 6G technology.
Mr Joseph Cudjoe, Minister, Public Enterprises, who represented the Government of Ghana, applauded the invaluable support and technical assistance the Government of Korea continued to provide to Ghana through KOICA, KOTRA, KOFIH, Korea EXIM and KOPIA.
He said Ghana’s peace and stability as well as the enabling investment climate continued to attract investors.
This, he indicated, had witnessed the commissioning of the KIA Assembly Plant, the biggest plant in Ghana, by President Akufo-Addo in May 2023 to provide direct and indirect jobs to the youth of this country, while contributing to the development of the local value chains for automobile assembly.
The establishment of AfCFTA in Ghana, the Minister said, offered a huge market of over 1.3 billion potential investors in Africa including the Korean Government.
“This development coupled with Ghana’s conducive business climate serves as a springboard for Korean businessmen to access the continental market,” he noted.
Source: GNA
