Korea-Kenya ties for mutual benefit

South Korea's President Park Geun-Hye speaks during a trilateral meeting with US President Barack Obama at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre on March 31, 2016, in Washington, DC. She hopes that Kenya and her country will continue to join forces to realise the shared vision of ushering in a future of mutual prosperity. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Koreans can relate to the emotions of Kenyans celebrating this special day because we also built the Republic of Korea after overcoming a history of colonial rule.
  • Kenya is also a nation of hope where the people are making big strides into a new future with zeal for education and enthusiasm for progress.
  • The information and communications technology field, which both the Korean and Kenyan governments have been assiduously nurturing, can be an important area of such cooperation.

First, I would like to congratulate the people of Kenya on Madaraka Day. I pay my respects to those who demonstrated great courage and patriotism during the struggle for the independence of their homeland.

Koreans can relate to the emotions of Kenyans celebrating this special day because we also built the Republic of Korea after overcoming a history of colonial rule.

My visit to Kenya is the first in 34 years by a Korean president. When I think of Kenya, such words as “harmony” and “hope” flash across my mind.

Kenya is a country of harmony where nature and civilisation, tradition and modernity coexist and some 40 different tribes live together.

Kenya is also a nation of hope where the people are making big strides into a new future with zeal for education and enthusiasm for progress.

Ahead of my visit to Kenya, I was told a story about a Korean business that was set up in Kenya in 1989.

The company has specialised in producing wigs that cater to local tastes, reaping great success not only in Kenya but also in other parts of Africa.

In the process, the company created more than 10,000 jobs. Ruiru, where the company is located, used to be a town with a population of 15,000, but has been transformed into a vibrant industrial city.

This is an exemplary success story that represents a vision for mutually beneficial cooperation between the peoples of Korea and Kenya.

On my visit, I intend to renew the friendly relationship between our two countries so that we can create more examples of successful cooperation and bring forth a shared vision of marching together toward a future of mutual benefits.

Our two countries have steadily developed ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964.

Both Korea and Kenya have overcome colonial rule, both our peoples are known for their diligence and zeal for education and our two nations have fully embraced the market economy system.

These similarities serve as the foundation for the advancement of friendly, cooperative ties between our two nations.

CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP

The openness shown by the Kenyan leadership and its people also helps to facilitate more robust bilateral cooperation.

On this foundation, Kenya’s exports to Korea have increased 6.5 times to make it Korea’s largest trading partner in East Africa.

Many Korean businesses operating in Kenya have contributed to its economic growth through direct investments and job creation.

I hope our two countries will continue to join forces to realise the shared vision of ushering in a future of mutual prosperity, going beyond the existing achievements of bilateral cooperation.

It is imperative for our two nations to identify opportunities for renewed and sustainable cooperation, thereby continuing to add new chapters in our success story.

I hope that our two governments will continue to nurture a mutually beneficial partnership in which we can learn and grow together by organically harmonising Korea’s experience with Kenya’s potential.

The information and communications technology field, which both the Korean and Kenyan governments have been assiduously nurturing, can be an important area of such cooperation.

I hope that the Korean Government’s creative economy initiative, in which advanced science and technology is implanted across industries to create jobs and further develop the national economy, will contribute to the Kenyan Government’s efforts to achieve Vision 2030.

The “Miracle on the Han River” that Korea achieved since the 1960s was possible because leadership, effective public administration, an industrial development strategy of concentrating resources on selected sectors, and human resource development were combined with timely and effective help from the international community.

BRIGHT FUTURE

I believe that, having similar conditions, Kenya will be able to make an astonishing leap forward if Korea’s experience and know-how are aptly shared.

Korea will become a reliable partner for Kenya’s development.

I am looking forward to the day when young Kenyans will have more opportunities to realise their dreams with more success stories of bilateral cooperation in various fields, and when “made in Kenya” products manufactured through collaboration between Korea and Kenya will be sold not just in Africa, but in markets around the world.

I hope that my visit to Kenya will serve as a new turning point for bilateral cooperation to realise these goals.

The writer is the president of the Republic of Korea