Ghanaian Ambassador to Korea Kojo Choi speaks throughout an interview with Yonhap Information Company at his official residence in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
Korea and Ghana share a lot in widespread as nations with sturdy satisfaction and id rooted in family-oriented traditions — foundations that may assist elevate their partnership to a brand new stage for mutual development, Ghana’s high envoy to Seoul has mentioned.
Kojo Choi, Ghana’s new ambassador to Korea, made the remarks in a current interview with Yonhap Information Company, expressing hope to play a bridging function in bolstering bilateral ties as the primary ambassador of African nationality with Korean descent. Choi took up his put up in Seoul in October.
“The cultures of the 2 nations are remarkably related. Identical to Korea locations nice significance on its ethnic id, Ghana additionally values its nationwide id with the identical depth,” Choi mentioned within the interview Friday.
“The tradition that locations household on the coronary heart of life and valuing group is a similarity shared by the 2 nations,” he mentioned.
Choi, a Korea-born naturalized Ghanaian, moved to Ghana along with his missionary mother and father in 1992.
With such similarities, the 2 nations can search to advance their partnership in a mutually helpful means, he mentioned, stressing that Ghana “holds the important thing” for Korea to discover a new breakthrough for development amid uncertainties in world provide chains and different challenges.
“Korea has achieved fast development by exports, however with unstable world provide chains and rising economies advancing in applied sciences, it has change into troublesome to seek out new breakthroughs,” Choi mentioned.
“It is time for Korea to assume exterior the field and search a wholly new development technique,” he mentioned.
Choi steered that combining Korea’s industrialization expertise and technological capabilities with Ghana’s wealthy sources and development potential might open new alternatives for each nations.
Introducing Ghana as a significant producer of important minerals like nickel, lithium and manganese — key parts for electrical automobile (EV) batteries — Choi mentioned the nation has targeted on nurturing the EV-related ecosystem as a strategic trade.
This makes Korea, one of many world’s main EV and EV battery makers, an optimum accomplice for the African nation, he mentioned.
“With Hyundai Motor’s meeting plant in Ghana as a place to begin, I imagine new alternatives will emerge if we broaden our partnership to incorporate each the upstream and downstream sectors of the battery trade,” he mentioned.
Like many African nations, Ghana has the geographical benefit as a logistics gateway to Europe and the US, providing export-driven nations like Korea better entry and effectivity, Choi mentioned.
Choi famous that eligible sub-Saharan nations are in talks with the U.S. to revive duty-free entry to the American market after this system was not prolonged beneath the Donald Trump administration’s tariff coverage.
“If we will make use of this institutional foundation, we will notice a market growth technique that connects Ghana, Africa, Europe and the U.S.,” he mentioned. “And Ghana is able to change into Korea’s finest accomplice in main the period of African financial integration.”
Whereas he has constructed a repute as a profitable businessman in Ghana, which he calls his “second motherland,” his appointment as ambassador drew some public opposition there.
“I had by no means anticipated my appointment could be on the middle of such heated controversy. Seeing it escalate right into a nationwide challenge weighed closely on me,” Choi mentioned.
He mentioned it was not political evaluation or diplomatic explanations that resonated with individuals, however the tales of his childhood in Ghana and his lifetime of missionary service and giving that step by step turned identified and helped shift public opinion.
“Serving in Korea as Ghana’s ambassador is among the most particular and honorable moments of my life. My love for, and understanding of, Africa is deeply rooted in who I’m,” Choi mentioned.
As the 2 nations are set to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of diplomatic relations in 2027, Choi mentioned he’s searching for to discover the likelihood with Seoul to co-host a Okay-pop efficiency and different occasions in Ghana.
Choi additionally expressed sturdy hopes for early high-level exchanges, together with reciprocal state visits by President Lee Jae Myung and Ghanaian President John Mahama.
“When the day comes for me to return to Ghana, I hope to be remembered by the Ghanaian individuals as an envoy who actually did effectively,” he mentioned.
“My best purpose is to assist Korea, the nation the place I used to be born, and Ghana, the nation that raised me, change into the closest of buddies and the strongest of companions,” Choi added.
