The inaugural Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul on June 4-5 is barely two weeks away. I hail the launch of the bilateral partnership at the summit level. The Korea-Africa Summit is expected to be attended by representatives from 54 African countries, making it the largest Africa summit ever hosted by any country. It will also become the largest international gathering under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Of course, the sheer number of attendees does not always justify the importance or value of the gathering.

The rapid population growth and significant potential of Africa provide ample justification for the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit. Africa is home to 1.3 billion people, which is forecast to account for a quarter of the world’s population by 2050. More importantly, a third of its population will be young, aged between 15 and 24. It certainly is an envy of an aging country like Korea. Africa boasts the largest free trade area by the number of member states, following the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement in 2018. Africa also possesses 30 percent of the global critical minerals essential for the global response to climate change, energy transition, and the restructuring of industrial processes. So, it is no coincidence that the G20 leaders in New Delhi in September 2023 agreed to give the African Union (AU) a permanent member status at the G20, second only to the European Union.

Korea is credited with bringing development into the G20 agenda during its........

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