President Michael Sata is expected to arrive in Seoul, South Korea today 15th October 2012 to attend two separate high level meetings hosted by the Korean government.
President Sata will attend the third Korea-African Economic Co-operation (KOAFECO) Forum from 16th to 18th October at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, and also the Zambia-Korea business forum which will run on the sidelines of the co-operation forum.
The Korea-Africa Economic Co-operation forum is a brainchild of former Korean President Roh Moo-Lyin launched in 2006 and is held once every three years focusing discussions on global security, development cooperation, trade and investment.
In attendance at the KOAFECO forum which is co-hosted by the African Union (AU) will be some selected African Heads of States and Government.
President Sata who is currently on an official visit to Japan, is expected to arrive at Incheon International airport in Seoul at 10.15 hours Zambian time to start a four-day working visit.
President Sata will attend and give a key note inaugural address to the third Korea-Africa Economic Co-operation forum scheduled 17th October at the Seoul Grand Hyatt hotel, and thereafter address the Korea/Zambia business forum.
The President will start his working visit on Tuesday with a tour of the KT Olleh square housing various Information Technology companies with a view to woe some of them to consider transferring their technology to Zambia by setting up manufacturing plants and create job opportunities.
Later in the day on Tuesday , President Sata, who will be accompanied by the First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba and senior government officials will be the guest of honour at the Korea/Zambia business seminar hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the prestigious Shilla hotel in Seoul.
President Sata will use the business forum which will be attended by influential Korean business houses including electronic giants Samsung and LG, as part of his continued campaign to sell Zambia as a safe investment destination in Southern Africa focusing on creating job opportunities especially for the unemployed youths.
The participation of private Korean companies in its economy has helped create jobs for millions of citizens and reduced the unemployment rate to below 4 per cent according to latest statistics.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with four other major Korean business associations will host a luncheon in honour of President Sata and his delegation soon after the seminar before the Head of State proceeds to have a high level meeting with the Executive Director of the world renowned Korean electronic engineering company, Samsung.
Later in the evening, President Sata and the First Lady are expected to attend an official dinner hosted by the Korean President Lee Myung Bak in honour of participants to the third Korea-Africa Economic Co-operation Forum at the Blue House, which is the State House of the Korean President.
On Wednesday, 17th October, President Sata will hold talks with Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwangsik on the sidelines of the third Korea-Africa Economic Co-operation Forum before attending the official opening ceremony at the Seoul Grand Hyatt hotel.
The President will also hold bilateral talks with his Korean counter-part at Cheong wa Dae at the Blue House soon after attending the opening ceremony of the forum before proceeding to attend a luncheon hosted by President Lee and the Korean First lady.
President Sata’s visit to Seoul will be punctuated by visits to some key historical attractions that make South Korea one of the most visited countries in the world. He will be taken on tour of the famous secret garden and thereafter to Samsung Electronics in Suwan region.
Before returning to Zambia on Thursday, the President will visit IS-Dongseo Terrace House Construction site to appreciate how Korea has resolved its housing deficit from which Zambia could learn some lessons that could help tackle her housing problem.
Meanwhile, a tight schedule also awaits the First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba during the working visit to South Korea on the sidelines of President Sata’s programme.
Dr Kaseba is on Tuesday scheduled to visit Baihan Labtech, a leading South Korean company that manufactures medical equipment and the Seoul National University hospital before finally attending a First Lady’s high level meeting and a luncheon.
ZANIS
In 1964, the Zambian economy was the same size as that of South Korea. In the aftermath of a devastating war, the exhausted South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world, with an income per head on a par as ours.
By the end of 2011 it was richer than the European Union average, with a gross domestic product per person of $31,750, calculated on a basis of purchasing-power parity (PPP), compared with $31,550 for the EU. SK is the only country that has so far managed to go from being the recipient of a lot of development aid to being rich within a working life.
It is a model of growth, a better exemplar than China, which is too vast to copy, and better, too, than Taiwan, Singapore or Hong Kong. The smart people of the Zambian Enterprise have resources, SK imports them raw.
#1 B.R Mumba, sorry man, my Ecuadoran wife mistaken you to a Chimpazee. I took a break on doing her, came to read news and here she goes “haaa.. Zambian Chimpazees comments too?” I am so upset, I can’t even open Prof. Luo’s news otherwise she may insult the hardworking one.
How nasty some folks can be. You could have kept that you to and your wife. That can be upseting indeed. Thanks RB Mumba for enlightening us. So the President has gone to places where it can be of benefit to our people. Good workrs to HE MC Sata and to you RB Mumba.
Our Tourist president, no wonder he itched for state house at all cost
If one travels purposefully fruits came to be. Whoever gives you direction at night when its dark, you only that him/her whenn day breaks, because you will have arrive well and safe despite your doubts through out the night time.
#1 B.R Mumba, sorry man, my Ecuadoran wife mistaken you to a Chimpazee. I took a break on doing her, came to read news and here she goes “haaa.. Zambian Chimpazees comments too?” I am so upset, I can’t even open Prof. Luo’s news otherwise she may insult the hardworking one.
You are a fool leave Mumba alone, you have not even shared your photo you could be worse. Grow up and blog like a mature person. Ubupuba this is why you can talk about your bedroom secrets on a blog tawakwata amaano
Welcome to South Korea Mr. President.
Welcome to Seoul Mr President. I hope we can meet, together with other Zambians here. I am just from attending a High Level Knowledge Sharing Forum organised by the Korean Development Institute and the World Bank and do agree that we have a lot to learn from Korea. I was there in my capacity as a student, saw government officials from allover the World. Wish our Zambian technocrats can attend such meetings and learn from the Korean experience.
I know your visit will be fruitful and you will be buoyed once you see what courage, hard-work and honesty can achieve.
@BR Mumba Sr, when I pointed out on a previous thread that considering what Zambia had inherited at independence in 1964 it was correct to say that KK had mismanaged the economy and made Zambia poor. Zambia was the second richest country in subsaharan Africa after South Africa. Richer than South Korea , Singapore, Botswana etc. What I and others got from you Mr Mumba was to disregard all this as you went on a spirited defence of Kaunda and his mismanagement. A third of the posting on that particular thread was your defence of Kaundanomics. Delighted to see you admitting indirectly the state of our economy vis a vis South Korea’s in 1964! Facts are stubborn!
Ba Goncalves:
We measure wealth by Real GDP and income per capita for the citizenry. For instance, until recently total African GDP compared to the rest of the world was at 2%. In other words if you added up all economic activity output for all goods and services from Africa, it only accounted for 2% compared to all other continents.
Out of that 2% South Africa alone controlled 20% of the entire GDP for the whole continent. You see the richest man in Kalingalinga maybe the poorest man in Como, Texas. So, even if Zambia was the second richest economy in Africa at independence, it’s total output was equal to South Korea.
Our purchasing-power parity was the same as South Korea and we both were classified as poor nations dependent on foreign aid. KK issue is a non-starter, thanks.
Shani kanshi, why is he ever so absent minded?
WELCOME MR PRESIDENT. AS ZAMBIANS IN KOREA WE WARMLY WELCOME YOU TO THIS GREAT COUNTRY
Remind me again who it was that said RB is a forever touring the world?
I did and i can say again.
KK mismanaged Zambia’s economy on two fronts (1) support for freedom wars in South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia. Those wars costed us a lot of wealth, time and people. Was good support but may be should been conditional to some pay back. So it costed us much for little or no economic returns apart from friendship. (2) KK overstayed on power and no longer had fresh ideas to take the country’s ddevelopment further. He started just ccrushing many others with knew ideas that seemed a threat to him. So this has been ouour back ground. Today we have Sata who has original ideas that KK had. They aim to open up all Zambia with real development. Yes Sata can do it and will do it. He id a practical man. He lived in UK and know how things can be better.
Good points but given the era perhaps gaining freedom was deemed more important than locking down agreements that would have been made to appear self serving by those from whom power was being wrestled. I think the UK only finished paying the US for the 2nd world war this year so there were historical precedents but perhaps more obvious in retrospect. Lastly, it’s possible we figured there would be African style reciprocal acknowledgement with economic benefits and got the short straw. What we did was good though even if it ultimately cost us. What we haven’t done is inserted ourselves in their history on our own platforms and sold it to them! Yet! I’m down with creative solutions :)
Another area left unchecked was using resource to train people whom we either allowed to get hunted or frustrated with a stubborn refusal to adapt the working environment to take in to account the improved skill sets, or just turned a blind eye to the emerging culture of ‘teaching them a lesson’ imposed by their colleagues who were ensuring their comfortable jobs did not become obsolete. That used to be a common experience alongside the eventual brain drain. An own goal scored.
His Excellence should also visit the Republic of China
Our development is an ongoing process that will always flow through varying Presidencies and their efforts. If those who can, invest some time, skill or resource, it could ensure that a grade 1 child today will have a different set of life options than today’s graduates. That kinda motivates me to consider what I can realistically improve in Zambia by 2020 within my areas of obsessive interest where no set industry exists but there is immense potential. After that seed planting it will be up to the people entering graduate studies in 2013 to pass the baton. Just a thought :)
#1 thanks for the insight……. did not know….hope to learn from our past mistakes and move forward coping the right tools to drive the economy of Zambia
You are welcome.
Vasco Da Gama
Welcome to Seoul Mr President. I hope we can meet, together with other Zambians here. I am just from attending a High Level Knowledge Sharing Forum organised by the Korean Development Institute and the World Bank and do agree that we have a lot to learn from Korea. I was there in my capacity as a student, saw government officials from allover the World. Wish our Zambian technocrats can attend such meetings and learn from the Korean experience.
I know your visit will be fruitful and you will be buoyed once you see what courage, hard-work and honesty can achieve.
Ba Goncalves:
We measure wealth by Real GDP and income per capita for the citizenry. For instance, until recently total African GDP compared to the rest of the world was at 2%. In other words if you added up all economic activity output for all goods and services from Africa, it only accounted for 2% compared to all other continents.
Out of that 2% South Africa alone controlled 20% of the entire GDP for the whole continent. You see the richest man in Kalingalinga maybe the poorest man in Como, Texas. So, even if Zambia was the second richest economy in Africa at independence, it’s total output was equal to South Korea.
Our purchasing-power parity was the same as South Korea and we both were classified as poor nations dependent on foreign aid. KK issue is a non-starter, thanks.
This thug of a president trotting the globe after condemning RB.Nonsense-2016 u are in the dustbin Mr Ukwa CNP.
While its true that SK had the same GDP as Zambia in ’64 its misleading to blame it all on KK yet we as a people also contributed to the economic malaise.The chaebols of SK,the Fiat,Hitachi,Peugeot,Diageo or General electric industrial conglomerates of this world were all started by individuals and not govts.Today they anchor the economies of their home countries.We in zed always wrongly look up to govt to put up industries and drive economic growth while we do zilch.What are WE doing as individuals for economic revitalisation instead of always blaming GRZ?