South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on June 4 borrowed Kenya’s national motto ‘Harambee’ as he sought to endear himself to African leaders gathered in Seoul for a major Summit.

Harambee is a Swahili word that loosely translates to ‘all pull together’ and the South Korea leader was using it to indicate the need for cooperation.

“We share these similarities in Korea. Korea is ready to move forward with Africa as a true friend,” he said, referring to the Asian country’s rise from poverty to development.

Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta had used the word harambee often to rally the public to work together at common problems like disease, poverty and illiteracy. Those problems haven’t left Africa though.

Yeol spoke at an opening session of the inaugural Korea-Africa Summit at the at the Korea International Exhibition Centre in Goyang, near Seoul in South Korea. And 25 heads of state and government including Kenya’s President William Ruto gathered here to listen to what the Summit promises as “the future we make together.”

Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame are also attending. Uganda sent Vice President Jessica Alupo.

On the sidelines of the Korea-Africa summit, Kenya and the Korea Exim Bank, signed two funding agreements worth $238 million for the financing of Konza Digital Media City. The project, according to Kenya’s Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei, will help “establish a cutting edge film and creative economy hub at Konza Technopolis.”

The Bank’s Executive Director and Board Member Hwang Kiyeon signed the deal with Dr Sing’oei. It is the first achievement of what Kenya had said will form its ambitions in seeking collaboration in the creative industry.

At the Summit opening session, which took the roundtable format, President Ruto told the audience true cooperation relies on finding out what each side can benefit first. The Summit, he added, was a welcome first step to creating a system that build both sides.

“This summit demonstrates a resolve to elevate this relationship and mobilise political will needed for Africa and Korea to prosper together through mutually beneficial collaborations,” he said.

“To do this, we must leverage on our complementarities and implement win-win strategies on the basis of equal partnership,” Mr Ruto said.

Overall, the Korea-Africa Summit has brought representatives from 48 African nations, including 25 heads of state and government. And the opening session was to be followed by a series of business discussions between the two sides on Wednesday.

It is also a welcome distraction to the South Korean leader’s domestic woes. Last week, opposition politicians brought an impeachment bill against him, accusing him of interfering with a local investigation into the death of a soldier. He vetoed the proposed motion, local news reports showed.

At the Summit, President Yoon said his country aims to expand trade and investment with Africa through a series of agreements, such as Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and Trade and Investment Promotion Frameworks (TIPFs). Kenya, Tanzania and Morocco are some of the countries already negotiating bilateral EPAs.

Yet his country has only been the latest to host a summit on Africa. Russia, China, UK, US, Turkey, Japan, Italy and the European Union have all summoned African leaders in the past.

“In terms of trade, we will speed up the signing of EPAs and TIPFs. On the investment front, we will expand investment protection agreements to promote exchanges between the two countries' companies,” Mr Yoon said.

“We will seek sustainable cooperation solutions for issues directly related to future growth, such as the stable supply of critical minerals and digital transformation," Mr Yoon said.

Mr Yoon appended state visits within the Summit, giving special attention to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Sierra Leonean leader Julius Maada Bio. He was expected to hold bilateral talks with President Ruto on Tuesday evening but he had already met with leaders of Lesotho, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Togo, Rwanda, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.

"Together with our friends in Africa, South Korea will rigorously implement UN Security Council resolutions and work to safeguard peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community," Mr Yoon said.

On June 5, the two sides are expected to sign what will be known as an MoU on ‘Key Minerals Cooperation Partnership.’ The document will not be legally binding on all participating members but the South Korean presidency indicated it will provide guidelines on future cooperation, including possible value addition related to crucial minerals.

The Summit is being co-hosted by Mauritania, which is the rotating chair of the African Union this year. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani said African leaders had already shown confidence in Korean relations, by honouring the invitations.

“I believe that the very reason African nations are attending this summit is because African countries are expressing their steadfast trust and gratitude towards South Korea.”

Attending heads of state/government

William Ruto-Kenya President

Samia Suluhu Hassan-Tanzania President

Paul Kagame-Rwanda President

Nana Akufo Addo- Ghana President

Mohamed Ould Ghazouani-Mauritania President

Abiy Ahmed-Ethiopian Prime Minister

Teodoro Obiang Nguema- Equitorial Guinea President

Faure Gnassingbe- Togo President

Filipe Nyusi- Mozambique President

Alassane Ouattara- Ivory Coast President

Emmerson Mnangagwa-Zimbabwe President

Eric Masisi-Botswana President

Julius Maada Bio-Sierra Leone President

Joseph Boakai- Liberia President

Umaru Sissoco Embalo- Guinea Bissau President

Faustin-Archange Touadera-Central Africa Republic President

Isaias Afwerki- Eritrea President

Andry Rajoelina-Madagascar President

Wavel Ramnakawan- Seychelles President

Prithvirajsing Roopun- Mauritius President

Samuel Ntsoloane Matekane-Lesotho Prime Minister

Moussa Faki Mahamat-Chairperson of the African Union Commission