By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to attend the G20 Summit, held a summit with South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa on Nov. 19 to exchange views on practical cooperation between the two countries and regional and global issues.

President Yoon congratulated President Ramaphosa on his re-election (June 14) in this historic year when South Africa marks the 30th anniversary of the end of apartheid, and expressed his hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen the mutually beneficial partnership that has been strengthened in all fields since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. 

President Yoon expressed his appreciation for South Africa's contribution to the defense of South Korea's liberal democracy during the Korean War, noting in particular that South Africa sent a flying unit of its air force, known as the Flying Cheetahs, to fight alongside South Korea during the Korean War.

President Ramaphosa said that South Korea's successful economic development experience is an inspiration to many countries, including South Africa, and he hoped to further strengthen practical cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including trade and investment, energy, and more. 

Ramaphosa said he hoped to work closely with South Korea, a model country that has made progress through education, to improve the quality of education in South Africa.

The two leaders agreed that cooperation in key minerals is becoming increasingly important to counteract global supply chain instability, and agreed to continue exploring ways to cooperate in this area. 

In this regard, President Yoon introduced that his country is preparing to launch the Korea-Africa Critical Minerals Dialogue on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba (25.2.3-6) forum in South Africa next February, and requested President Ramaphosa's interest.

The two leaders agreed to continue to work together to ensure that the international community sends a firm message against North Korea's provocations and violations of UN Security Council resolutions, including North Korea’s troop deployment in Russia. 

The two leaders also agreed to work closely together at all levels to ensure the success of the G20 Summit in South Africa next year, the first ever to be held in Africa.