South Korea and the African Union have called on to deepen cooperation on trade, health care, climate action and peace and security, while reviewing how to operate their joint cooperation fund.
During the seventh Korea-AU policy consultations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 3, Chung Kwang-yong, director-general for African and Middle Eastern affairs, and Willy Nyamitwe, chairperson of the AU’s Permanent Representatives Committee, discussed management of the Korea-AU Cooperation Fund and practical ways to expand collaboration across investment, youth and women’s empowerment, climate change and security, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The Korean officials briefed AU officials on ongoing cooperation projects and proposed using high-level exchanges to broaden the relationship. In turn, the AU welcomed Seoul’s continued commitment and said it would support mutually beneficial cooperation.
In June, Korea and African partners committed to supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area through the Korea-AfCFTA (The African Continental Free Trade Area) Cooperation Fund, customs capacity-building and a One-stop Origin Management System.
Korea established the ROK-AfCFTA Cooperation Fund in 2025 with about $4.5 million to support trade-related projects and expand commercial ties.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a free trade zone in Africa, with 53 out of 54 African countries having joined it and 48 having ratified the agreement, which entered into force in May 2019 and officially started facilitating trade in January 2021. If all African countries participate in the AfCFTA, it is expected to become an economic bloc with a population of approximately 1.3 billion and a combined GDP of around $3.4 trillion.
The AU, founded in 2002, has 54 member states and works to advance African integration, peace and security. Korea’s engagement also includes the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation framework. Its KOAFEC Trust Fund, managed with the African Development Bank, is the bank’s largest bilateral trust fund by contributions and portfolio size.
