Ministry of Foreign Affairs Discusses Support Measures for Korean Companies Entering Africa... 12 Companies Including Daewoo E&C Attend

Video Conference Meeting Between Companies and Related Organizations Entering Africa

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 24th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a video conference chaired by Ko Kyung-seok, Director General of the Africa and Middle East Bureau, with representatives of Korean companies operating in the African region. They listened to the activities and difficulties faced by Korean companies amid the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed response measures together with relevant ministries and related organizations.

This meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and attended by related ministries and organizations including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Overseas Construction Association, Korea-Africa Foundation, as well as 12 companies operating in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Daewoo Engineering & Construction, Kolon Global, Ssangyong Engineering & Construction, GS Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering, Dohwa Engineering, Jeil Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries, LG Electronics, KT, Dongwon Group, and Daedong Industrial.

The participating companies explained difficulties caused by the spread of COVID-19 in the African region, including △psychological anxiety and accumulated fatigue among dispatched employees, △restrictions on leave and business trips due to prolonged mandatory self-quarantine, and △confusion caused by changes in entry and exit procedures of host countries.

In addition, regardless of the COVID-19 situation, they requested government-level support for △visa issuance for additional local personnel dispatch, △simplification of complex administrative procedures related to exports, and △relaxation of tariff barriers, while raising the need for providing local information to expand Korean companies’ presence in Africa.

In response, government ministries and related organizations explained efforts at the government level to resolve difficulties related to corporate activities such as entry and exit of Korean companies operating abroad. They also pledged to actively support local Korean companies by △strengthening communication with Korean companies operating abroad, △assisting in resolving difficulties with host country governments through overseas diplomatic missions, and △facilitating smooth entry and exit for essential corporate personnel.

So far, the government has supported the re-entry of Korean businesspeople in Madagascar through negotiations with the local government in March, and in Mozambique, supported the exceptional entry of newly appointed local corporation heads in July.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Recognizing that joint efforts between the public and private sectors are important for the successful advancement of our companies into the African region, we will continue to maintain close communication with our companies operating abroad, relevant ministries, and related organizations, and provide maximum support possible at the government level."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.