South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol have held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, focusing on strengthening economic and sectoral partnerships between the two nations.
The meeting underscores the growing importance of South Korean-African relations, with South Africa maintaining its position as Korea’s primary trading partner on the continent.
“Bilateral relations between the two countries have continued to grow with the broadening of sectoral cooperation, especially in the fields of education, energy and science and innovation,” the South African presidency said in a statement.
The talks highlighted South Africa’s strategic position in Asian-African trade relations, with Korea currently ranking as South Africa’s fourth-largest trading partner in Asia.
President Ramaphosa’s office noted that “South Africa appreciates the economic cooperation with the Republic of Korea and seeks to expand it,” signalling potential future growth in trade relations between the two nations.
The meeting comes as both countries seek to strengthen their positions in the global economy, with particular focus on technological and educational exchange programmes.
