Ghana, South Korea Deepen Ties in Agriculture, Trade and Technology Cooperation

Ghana and the Republic of Korea have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with a renewed focus on cooperation in agriculture, trade, technology and critical minerals.

President John Dramani Mahama made this known during bilateral talks with the South Korean President, where he highlighted the strong historical and democratic ties that bind the two nations.

“Talking about the historic relations between Ghana and Korea, we are proud of the shared values that bind our two countries. We share a similar historical background, a deep respect for democracy, and a strong commitment to human rights,” President Mahama said.

According to him, these shared values have enabled Ghana and Korea to collaborate effectively on the global stage.

“Ghana and Korea often find themselves taking similar positions on many issues at the United Nations and other international forums. Our relationship is not defined by the distance between our two countries, but rather by the similarity of the values we share,” he stated.

President Mahama also highlighted growing cultural ties between the two countries, noting the influence of Korean culture among Ghanaian youth.

“Before I left Ghana, someone asked me to bring back kimchi. Our young people, including my own children, listen to K-pop music. These cultural connections bring our peoples closer together,” he said.

The President emphasised that agriculture remains a key area of cooperation between Ghana and Korea, particularly in efforts to boost local rice production and reduce imports.

“Our cooperation with KOICA has been very important, particularly in increasing rice production through the K-Rice Belt Project. Rice has now become a staple food in Ghana, and we want to reduce the amount of rice we import,” he noted.

President Mahama also underscored Ghana’s strategic role in Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose secretariat is based in Accra.

“Our goal is to position Ghana as a hub for production and exports to the rest of Africa. Ghana has abundant natural and human resources, while Korea has technology and innovation. I believe we can bring these strengths together in a win-win partnership,” he said.

He further called for deeper collaboration in the exploitation and processing of critical minerals, stressing the importance of value addition.

“Korea has the technology, and we believe we can explore these resources together — not exporting them in their raw form, but adding value before exporting them to Korea and other markets,” the President explained.

Touching on Ghana’s cocoa industry, President Mahama reiterated the country’s commitment to expanding value-added production.

“We want to create more value by processing cocoa into products such as cocoa liquor and cocoa butter for export, allowing other industries to turn them into finished products,” he added.

President Mahama also highlighted maritime security as an important area of cooperation between the two countries, particularly in addressing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

“Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a major concern, and we are pleased that one of the memoranda we will sign today focuses on maritime safety and cooperation,” he said.

He also assured the Korean government that Ghana’s economy is steadily recovering after recent financial challenges.

“We have successfully restructured our debt, and our economy is now back on track. Inflation is declining, our currency has strengthened, and we are meeting our debt obligations,” President Mahama stated.

The President added that Ghana looks forward to renewed access to the Economic Development Cooperation Fund and the signing of a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders to facilitate exchanges between the two nations.