daniel chigunwePark Jae Kyung
Korean Ambassador to Zimbabwe
The year 2024 will be recorded as a milestone year for both Zimbabwe and the Republic of Korea as we celebrated the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations with various events.
Now that it has been wrapped, we now plan for 2025.
Last year’s 30th anniversary celebrations created a strong momentum for furthering bilateral relations.
Based on the momentum, my Embassy will continue to work towards making fruitful and tangible outcomes so that the people may reap the benefits.
With that in mind, I would like to share some priorities of the embassy activities for the year 2025, through which we may contribute for the betterment of people’s lives.
First, agriculture will continue to be a priority sector. Projects of the previous year include support for a hatchery facility for Hwedza District.
The hatchery has a capacity to hatch 5 000 eggs at a time.
Another project is the seed potato lab facility for the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC), which is working in collaboration with the Korea Partnerships for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) Zimbabwe Centre.
Also, several young farmers were provided grants for their agri-business activities in the district.
This year, the embassy will make additional efforts to provide agricultural equipment including grain threshers, oil seed expressers and milling machine.
The embassy looks forward to addressing the challenges from food insecurity through supporting farm mechanisation.
In doing so, we will also try to ensure the equipment may be accessed by as many villages as possible through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
Secondly, health and education will also be priority sectors. During the Christmas holiday season last year, the embassy visited Jairos Jiri school and provided hampers for the students with disabilities. Assistance from the embassy also reached Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare, and other clinics in Bindura and Gwanda.
This year, the embassy will make additional efforts to provide medical equipment to clinics in need.
The embassy looks forward to contributing to a safe and secure medical environment in Zimbabwe. The mission will also be in close collaboration with Korean non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in creating a better educational environment for young students in rural areas.
Additionally, we will pay more attention to the issue of women’s empowerment. Yes, this is a new priority sector for the embassy.
Just as the case in the priority sectors mentioned above, close consultations have already begun with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, and Small and Medium Enterprise Development.
We may provide practical assistance for those in need through shelters. We may also engage in advocacy activities together with other agencies like UN Women and UNICEF. We also believe the issue needs to be dealt with for the benefit of broad economic growth as well as human rights or gender equality of the nation.
Lastly, the embassy will be keen to increase trade and investment between the Republic of Korea and Zimbabwe.
The mining sector or critical minerals like lithium tops the economic agenda. The embassy will also work towards increasing cultural exchanges including music, dance and sports.
We took note with excitement the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year between national rugby teams of the Republic of Korea and the Zimbabwe Sables.
The embassy will be instrumental in inviting the Korean rugby team to Zimbabwe this year.
I would like to conclude by wishing a peaceful and prosperous 2025 for Zimbabwe and also by sharing one of the sayings I like, which is the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
The Republic of Korea wants to go far with Zimbabwe and this is why we have to go together, based on the spirit of Ubuntu.
