Somali foreign minister attends Korea-Africa meeting in Seoul
The Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting took place in Seoul on June 1 and brought together foreign ministers and representatives from 50 African countries.
Tuesday June 2, 2026
Seoul, South Korea (AX) — Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali was among African diplomats who met South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Monday at Cheong Wa Dae, as Seoul pressed ahead with efforts to widen its reach across the African continent.
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The engagement took place alongside the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which drew delegates from 50 African countries and four regional bodies, among them the African Union and the African Development Bank.
South Korea organized the forum under the banner “Partnership for Joint Responses to Global Challenges,” with the agenda centered on trade, investment, technology, supply chains, climate change, public health, peacebuilding and sustainable development.
South Korean officials said the gathering was designed to broaden cooperation with Africa at a moment marked by supply chain disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty. President Lee told African ministers and senior officials that South Korea wants to deepen its partnership with the continent, including by holding regular summits with African leaders.
The Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting took place in Seoul on June 1 and brought together foreign ministers and representatives from 50 African countries.
For Somalia, the talks provided a chance to expand diplomatic and economic ties with South Korea, especially in development, investment, technology and institutional cooperation, according to the Somali foreign ministry.
The discussions also underscored Seoul’s wider push to strengthen relations with African states on critical minerals, trade and supply chains as global economic and security pressures continue to mount.
