Ivory Coast and South Korea established diplomatic relations on 23 July 1961, making Ivory Coast the first African state to form official diplomatic ties with South Korea. Since then, relations have developed steadily, with ongoing cooperation in political affairs, trade, culture, and other fields.
History
In 1960, Ivory Coast gained independence from France. President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who pursued an anti-communist policy, established close relations with Western countries. The following year, on 23 July 1961, Ivory Coast also established diplomatic relations with South Korea, which was aligned with the Western bloc. This made Ivory Coast the first African country to establish formal diplomatic ties with South Korea. South Korea subsequently opened its embassy in Abidjan on 12 July 1966, while Ivory Coast established its embassy in Seoul 31 years later.
After the Ivorian Civil War, the situation in Ivory Coast deteriorated, prompting the South Korean government to dispatch several military officers to support the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country. During this period, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed South Korean diplomat Choi Young-jin as his Special Representative for Ivory Coast.
In 2014, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara visited South Korea, becoming the first head of state from Ivory Coast to do so. He held a summit meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye at the Blue House, during which the two leaders discussed cooperation in trade and investment, as well as collaboration in cultural and educational affairs, consular matters, and international issues. They also exchanged views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Africa.
Ivorians in South Korea
A small number of Ivorians reside in South Korea, primarily for reasons such as studying, business, diplomacy, and consular work. The main point of support for Ivorians in South Korea is the Embassy of Ivory Coast in Seoul, which provides consular services to its citizens and engages in cultural and educational exchange activities. Additionally, cultural events organized by the embassy, such as the Ivory Coast National Day celebrations, are held in South Korea, promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Notable people
Gbato Seloh Samuel is an Ivorian footballer who progressed through the Osan High School and FC Seoul U-18 youth teams, signing a professional contract with FC Seoul in 2025. He is noted as an example of the K League's Homegrown Player system, which promotes players developed through local youth programs.
See also
- Foreign relations of Ivory Coast
- Foreign relations of South Korea
References
External links
South Korea Category:Bilateral relations of South Korea
Guinea–Liberia relations are the bilateral diplomatic relations between Guinea and Liberia. The two countries share a state border with a total length of 590 km.
History
On 24 December 1989, the First Liberian Civil War began, triggered by Charles Taylor and the NPFL. In 1991, the conflict spread to neighboring Sierra Leone when rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), led by Foday Sankoh, began using Liberia as a base for NPFL-supported attacks on border towns in Sierra Leone. As a result of these events, by 1992 approximately 120,000 people had fled from Sierra Leone to Guinea due to RUF attacks against civilians.
In 2001, Liberian forces, together with the RUF, began attacking and burning refugee camps and Guinean villages along the border. In a public speech, Guinean President Lansana Conté accused refugees of destabilizing the border region and stated that the vast majority of refugees were insurgents.
Conté called on the population of Guinea to defend the country. This led to attacks, beatings, rape, and abductions of refugees by Guinean police and armed forces. Sharp changes in Guinea's refugee policy further intensified the crisis as Liberian civilians attempted to return to territories controlled by the RUF. According to estimates by the United Nations, by 2002 around three million people, or approximately one in five inhabitants of the Mano River Union countries, had been displaced from their homes.
See also
- Foreign relations of Guinea
- Foreign relations of Liberia
- Guinea–Liberia border
References
Liberia Guinea
Guinea-Bissau–Senegal relations are the bilateral diplomatic relations between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. The two countries share a state border that is 341 km long.
History
Relations between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal have at times been disrupted by border disputes stemming from an agreement concluded in 1960 between France and Portugal, the former colonial powers. In 1999, Senegal and Guinea sent troops to overthrow Ansumane Mané, the chairman of the Military Junta Supreme Council of Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau and Senegal are members of the ECOWAS. In 1990, both countries joined an ECOWAS initiative to establish a unified military force, known as the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).
The government of Senegal has accused Guinea-Bissau of sheltering rebels from the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, which seeks independence for the Casamance region from Senegal. As a result of the Casamance conflict, arms smuggling has occurred in Guinea-Bissau, and there is a significant amount of unregistered weapons among the population. In 2018, approximately 10,000 refugees from Senegal were living in Guinea-Bissau.
Trade
In 2017, Senegal imported goods from Guinea-Bissau worth US$59.4 million, ranking as the second-largest importer of goods from Guinea-Bissau after Portugal, which imported goods worth US$102 million.
See also
- Foreign relations of Guinea-Bissau
- Foreign relations of Senegal
- Guinea-Bissau–Senegal border
References
Senegal Category:Bilateral relations of Senegal
Guinea–South Korea relations refer to the bilateral relations between Guinea, a country in West Africa, and South Korea, a country in East Asia.
Political exchanges
After gaining independence in 1958, Guinea received diplomatic recognition from both North Korea and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). However, Guinea's first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré, pursued a policy of "active neutralism" and prioritized relations with the Eastern Bloc and North Korea in the development of Guinea's foreign relations. Guinea did not immediately establish diplomatic relations with South Korea. It therefore supported North Korea and opposed South Korea in international organizations such as the Non-Aligned Movement. Nevertheless, Guinea maintained some official exchanges with South Korea and also sent a delegation to participate in the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul.
On 28 August 2006, Guinea and South Korea formally established diplomatic relations. Since then, the relations between the two countries have developed in a friendly manner. On 16 June 2011, South Korea's ambassador for energy and resources, Kim Eun-seok, led a joint private-official mission to Guinea and was received by President Alpha Condé. The two countries discussed resource development and infrastructure construction, exchanging views on cooperation in agriculture, transportation, and other sectors. Alpha Condé also stated that the Guinean government would establish an embassy in South Korea.
In May 2012, Guinea participated in the Expo 2012 held in Yeosu, South Korea. Alpha Condé also led a delegation to South Korea and was received by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. The two governments reached agreements on strengthening cooperation and on the development of minerals and infrastructure.
See also
- Foreign relations of Guinea
- Foreign relations of South Korea
References
South Korea Category:Bilateral relations of South Korea