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V.P Alupo honours Korea with presence at National Day celebrations
L-R: Minister Okello Oryem, V.P Jessica Alupo and Ambassador Park cutting the cake to celebrate the event
The Vice President of Uganda H.E. Jessica Alupo attended the recent Korea Foundation Day, and National Forces Day celebrations held at Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
The personal presence of the Vice President at National Day celebrations, the first of its kind by a person of her ranking since the Republic of Korea reopened its embassy in Uganda in 2011, perhaps signifies a strengthening of ties between the two countries.
Ambassador Park Sungsoo who hosted the reception at Sheraton hotel on October 2nd, 2024, thanked V.P Alupo for honouring their invitation for the National Day fete, but also for attending first Korea Africa Summit held in June 2023 in Seoul, S. Korea’s capital.
The State Minister for International Cooperation Henry Okello Oryem, also attended last Wednesday’s celebrations.
As another sign of closer ties between Uganda and Korea, Ambassador Park revealed that his embassy is involved in plans to support Uganda’s fourth National Development Plan 2025-2040.
Korea is closely emerging as Uganda’s key development partner through its support in the areas of Health, Education and Rural Development.
The Asian country main area of development assistance for now remains in the area of capacity building and knowledge sharing. Since reopening her embassy in 2011, more than 1000 Ugandans, especially civil servants have received scholarships to study in Korea at under-graduate and Masters levels.
During last year’s Korea-Africa summit, the two countries signed a US$500m loan agreement to support infrastructure projects.
The warming relations, are beneficial for both countries as Korea seeks to further her interests in Uganda.
As Ambassador Park said: “We are currently advancing multiple agreements on investment and trade to establish a foundation for economic
cooperation.” He hinted that the US$500m agreement will create an opening for big Korean companies into Uganda.
Vice President Alupo also thanked the Government of Korea for its support to improving agriculture, access to better healthcare and through improving the lives of ordinary people through promoting a savings culture.
She also thanked Korea for recently making a US$6.6m grant to Uganda to support waste management in the country.
Details on this are yet to emerge but it comes in the aftermath of the collapse of Kiteezi landfill that claimed the lives of more than 30 people.
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