President William Ruto will make his first state visit to South Korea on 21st November 2022.
According to a statement released from the office of the President, Ruto will visit South Korea for three days and will hold bilateral talks with South Korean President Yon Suk-Yeol on issues ranging from trade, investment and technology transfer.
The President’s visit to the Asian nation will be premised on bilateral meetings with His Excellency President Yon Suk-Yeol.
The President and his delegation will also seek collaborations in important sectors of the government’s economic development program, such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and public health, with engagements culminating in the signing of bilateral trade agreements.
The President will also seek to establish new markets for Kenyan products as part of expanding bilateral commerce.
Kenya and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1964 with Korean Embassy in Kenya being the first mission in sub-Saharan Africa. Given Kenya’s significant potential for development, natural endowment, and position as a gateway and logistical hub into East Africa, the country is strategically important in terms of Korea’s diplomacy towards Africa.
According to the South Korean Ambassador to Kenya H. E. Sung-jun Yeo the two countries have established future-oriented relations in various areas: high-level diplomatic visits, including presidents, prime ministers, and speakers of the National Assembly; signing trade and investment agreements to promote economic partnership; and the opening of the Department of Korean Studies at the University of Nairobi.
Yeo says collaboration between Korea and Kenya will expand progressively into various areas such as development cooperation, science and technology, ICT, climate change, health care, new growth industries and various culture avenues.
The South Korea government recently granted Kenya $6 million (Sh685.86 million) for the construction of transport infrastructure, planning and security installations at the Konza City project.
The Konza National Data Center and Smart City facilities project is being implemented by the Ministry of ICT through Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) through the support of the government of Korea.
