South Korea’s president Park Geun-hye arrived in Uganda on Saturday, the second leg of her Africa tour in a bid to promote business and trade opportunities. This is the first visit by a South Korean president since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1963.
Park arrived from Ethiopia, where she addressed the African Union, and will also be visiting Kenya on Monday.
President Yoweri Museveni has been targeting Asian countries such as China and South Korea as possible investors in sectors that include mining and agricultural processing in order to speed up industrialisation.
Park said she “intends to further reinforce mutually beneficial economic cooperation” between Uganda and South Korea.
“Based on its own experience, the Korean government is well aware that bold investments in infrastructure construction provide a solid foundation for strengthening economic fundamentals. Also, Korean companies have diverse experiences in infrastructure construction as well as advanced technological expertise. I hope the know-how Korea has accumulated so far will be able to contribute to economic development in Uganda.”
Park is expected to meet Sunday with Museveni, who frequently praises South Korea for its rapid economic progress in the aftermath of colonialism.
