[Meeting the Ambassador to Korea] "A Partnership Bridging the 1.4 Billion African Market... Korea Also Needs Ghana"

Paek Jocho, Ghana’s Ambassador to Korea, Born in Korea

"Korea has long viewed Africa as a place in need of help. However, from my perspective, there are numerous areas where Korea could receive assistance from Ghana in the future."

Paek Jocho, the Ambassador of Ghana to South Korea, stated this in an interview with The Asia Business Daily on August 20, emphasizing that as the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Ghana approaches next year, the bilateral relationship should evolve into a mutually beneficial partnership.

Paek Jocho, Ghana's Ambassador to Korea, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily on the 20th at the Ghana Embassy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

Ambassador Paek was born in Korea and moved to Ghana at the age of 14, where he attended local schools and university, and engaged in business for over 20 years. He has also built relationships with several democratically elected presidents of Ghana. Notably, he and current President John Dramani Mahama attended the same university dormitory. Regarding his appointment as Ambassador to Korea, he remarked, "I am a test case and a model; if I succeed, opportunities can be extended to others who, like me, truly love and live by African values." The following is a Q&A with Ambassador Paek.

-You appear to be a rather exceptional appointment among those from Sub-Saharan Africa.

△Africa is more nationalistic than people generally believe, and tribal traditions remain strong. Even though communities—such as those of Indian or Lebanese descent—have lived in Ghana for four or five generations, there has never been an ambassadorial appointment like mine. I believe I am the first such case in Sub-Saharan Africa as well. That is why there is great interest and expectation surrounding me, not just in Ghana but also from other African countries. Before my appointment, I even attended a Korea-Africa event held in Korea with President Mahama. In a way, I underwent a 'field interview' without realizing it. I think the President decided there was no one better suited to work for Ghana in Korea than me.

-Your experience living within both Korean and Ghanaian cultures must be a strong asset.

△At 14, I moved to Ghana and attended a local junior high school, where I was the only Korean in the boarding house for five years. I also went to university in Ghana and have been operating a company in Ghana for 26 years without any Korean employees. I have lived within the Ghanaian culture while primarily using English. In Korea, this is actually the first time I have spent such an extended period speaking Korean daily. After spending several months here, seeing Korea's development, diligence, honesty, and integrity, I began to notice myself becoming 'Koreanized' again. Conversely, Ghanaians possess a sense of leisure and patience. Because I have lived both cultures, I am uniquely positioned to connect the two and foster mutual understanding.

-How would you evaluate the main achievement of the Korea-Ghana summit held in March?

△I believe the main achievement was increasing mutual interest between Korea and Ghana. Korea began to recognize that Ghana, once seen as distant, could actually be like a friend next door. Likewise, Ghana started to see Korea in a new light rather than as a far-off country.

-What role can Ghana play as Korean companies attempt to enter Africa's single market?

△Korea holds considerable global competitiveness in advanced industries. On the other hand, some manufacturing products losing competitiveness in Korea are still in demand in Africa. It is worth considering ways to utilize raw materials produced in Ghana and localize production by integrating Korean technology and know-how. While Africa's current purchasing power may be limited, the population size is large, and if markets can be interconnected through a free trade zone without tariffs, it is an area Israelis should consider seriously.

-What synergies can be expected from the combination of Korean technological prowess and Ghana’s young human resources?

△When people talk about Ghana, they tend to focus on resources—mainly underground resources or minerals. However, the most valuable resource is people. Korea has welcomed many Ghanaian students over the years. Yet, a significant number of them leave Korea for places like Canada after finishing their studies. I hope Ghanaian students could have opportunities to stay in Korea, work, and learn firsthand.

-Amid ongoing geopolitical crises, climate change, and the reorganization of global supply chains, in what areas can Korea and Ghana cooperate?

△The first is energy. Issues like the Strait of Hormuz have been constantly discussed, but Ghana has an abundance of crude oil. Importing Ghanaian crude oil to Korea could provide an alternative route, diversifying supply chains currently concentrated in specific regions. Ghana also possesses substantial natural gas reserves. Blue ammonia can be produced using natural gas and connected further to hydrogen. There is also potential for cooperation on climate change. Ghana has the capability to trade carbon credits internationally.

-Security threats that cross borders are growing. How can the two countries cooperate?

△To pursue large-scale policy initiatives in international arenas like the United Nations Security Council, cooperation and consensus among many countries is essential. Maritime piracy exists in West Africa, and Korean citizens and companies are active in Ghana. In terms of maritime security, there are areas for bilateral cooperation. I also believe there are opportunities to utilize Korea's technological abilities and expertise in the defense and security sectors.

-Following the Korea-Africa foreign ministers' meeting in June, what are the most pressing follow-up tasks?

△Development cooperation (ODA) and development financing mechanisms such as soft loans are key areas. African countries demonstrated great interest in these issues during the foreign ministers' meeting. Each nation articulated its stance, and I spoke representing Ghana. The crucial point is to actualize what was discussed at the summit level.

-What is your most important goal for the remainder of your term?

△I have about two years remaining in my term. I wish to identify and highlight areas of commonality that Korea and Ghana can build together, and use them as a foundation to launch even more initiatives. There are numerous areas where Korea could benefit from Ghana. The first is the market: with its large and growing youth population, Ghana can serve as a gateway for Korea to the ever-expanding African market. This also applies to artificial intelligence (AI). Korea's strengths are its technology and infrastructure, but it lacks sufficient users and data. While Africa needs infrastructure, Korea needs more users and markets.

-What can Korean society learn from Ghana?

△Ghanaians embody a sense of leisure. There is an innate patience and a culture of enjoying life itself. I believe countries need models that can showcase the richness of life. There is the example of Akwasi Frimpong, the Ghanaian athlete who participated in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Though he finished in last place, he danced for joy—the achievement of fulfilling his dream to become an Olympian was a source of happiness greater than his ranking. Many Koreans watched and wanted to award him a 'Heung Medal' (a joyful medal). In Ghana, you sense, "I am truly alive."

-If you could pick one key charm of Ghanaian culture, what would it be?

△It is love. At the center of Ghanaian culture is always the person. People truly care for one another. Ghanaians possess an open heart and a sincere desire to become genuine friends with others. Ultimately, the Korea-Ghana relationship is, at its core, a relationship between people.

Choi Gyojo, Ghana's Ambassador to Korea, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily on the 20th at the Embassy of Ghana in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

<Who Is Paek Jocho, Ambassador of Ghana to Korea?>

Ghana was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence, achieving this milestone in 1957. Next year, the country will mark the 70th anniversary of its independence and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Korea. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat is located in the capital city, Accra, making Ghana a vital gateway into Africa’s single market of 1.4 billion people. Ghana boasts abundant natural resources such as crude oil, natural gas, and minerals, as well as a youthful population, giving it tremendous growth potential. Beyond development cooperation, Ghana and Korea are expanding their collaborative horizons to include manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), energy and natural resources, and future-oriented sectors such as climate change response.
The capital of Ghana is Accra. Located on the Gulf of Guinea along the West African Atlantic coast, Ghana shares borders with Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo. The territory is about 238,539 square kilometers—slightly larger than the Korean Peninsula. English is the official language, but various local languages are also spoken. According to the 2021 national census, approximately 71% of the population identifies as Christian, and about 20% as Muslim. Ghana is nine hours behind Korea. According to the World Bank, Ghana’s population in 2025 is expected to reach roughly 35 million. Gold, petroleum, and cocoa are major exports, while natural gas and mineral resources are also abundant.
Paek Jocho, who was appointed Ambassador of Ghana to Korea in 2025 (born Choi Seongup), is a diplomat with a background as an entrepreneur, born in Korea and raised in Ghana. In 1992, he moved to Ghana with his parents, who were Presbyterian missionaries, completing middle and high school there before majoring in public administration at the University of Ghana. He applied for Ghanaian citizenship in 1999 and became a naturalized citizen in 2015.
For more than 20 years, Ambassador Paek has been active as an entrepreneur and executive in various fields, including telecommunications, fintech (finance + technology), advertising and marketing, hospitality, natural healthcare, and education. He established and operated organizations such as Nanatel, Ultracom, PaySwitch, and One Heart Africa Academy. His philanthropy and humanitarian engagement have focused on youth empowerment, education, and rural development.
At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, he served as deputy chief of mission for the Ghanaian delegation, supporting the country's only athlete and assisting with international Olympic Committee matters for the Ghana Olympic Committee. Before becoming ambassador, he provided Korean interpretation and managed diplomatic engagements for Ghanaian presidents John Agyekum Kufuor, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and John Dramani Mahama during their high-level Korea-related diplomatic events.
Appointed by President Mahama in 2025, Ambassador Paek’s unique background—from missionary’s child born in Korea to Ghanaian entrepreneur and philanthropist, and now diplomat—makes him exceptionally well qualified to understand and connect both nations.

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