On behalf of President Adama Barrow, His Excellency, Vice President Badara A. Joof on Monday received at State House, Sung-Min JANG, the Special Envoy of the President of South Korea.
Special Envoy JANG brought a goodwill message from the South Korean President (Yoon Suk-yeol), to President Barrow through the Vice President.
He said the visit is to foster and consolidate the outstanding relations between South Korea and The Gambia with the desire for the former to help the latter in attaining its dream of “food self-sufficiency”, and the requisite Technical and Vocational Training.
Sung-Min Jang said he is delegated to inquire the Gambian leader’s priority areas for support by his country and to extend the fraternal best wishes of South Korea.
The Special Presidential Envoy thanked Vice President Joof for the excellent reception accorded to him, as well as the kind words of wisdom.
The Korean said his country shared many commonalities with The Gambia, and recalled that at some point, South Korea was a struggling economy but today, it’s one of the most progressive economies in the world.
“My country wants to make everything possible to make Gambia become a food basket for the ECOWAS region,” he said.
Crucially, Special Envoy Sung-Min Jang is the presidential envoy for Busan’s Candidacy for the Organization of the World Exposition 2030 and Head of Future at the Korean Presidency.
He was accompanied by a delegation of experts and diplomats including South Korea’s Honorary Consular to The Gambia, also a Gambian entrepreneur, Mr. Muhammed Jah.
In his deliberations, VP Joof thanked the Koreans for having The Gambia at heart, and encouraged them to consider Agriculture and Agricultural management so that The Gambia can attain food self-sufficiency in the short term; and be able to export to the ECOWAS Market in the long term.
VP Joof further encouraged the Special Envoy to engage in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), because the country needs strong, educated, and determined youth capable of developing it.
The Gambian VP suggested an opportunity for the Koreans to do more study on The Gambia’s land and water quality to be able to respond to its needs in food security.
During an exclusive interview with the Korean Ambassador to Dakar, H.E Kim Ji-Joon who was with the Special Envoy said already, they have started experimenting on a 50-hectare Gambian rice field, and by November, they would have preliminary results to work with.
The South Korean Honorary Consular to The Gambia, Mr Muhammed Jah said, there are positive signals that the South Korean Government is willing to support The Gambia to attain food self-sufficiency.
By Ms. Sarjo M. Camara (OVP)
