President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has received the Letter of Credence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of South Korea, His Excellency Surh Sun-Yol, at her Foreign Ministry office in Monrovia.At the presentation ceremony on Tuesday, January 22, Ambassador Sung-Yol conveyed the compliments and best wishes of outgoing South Korean President, His Excellency Lee Myung-bak to President Sirleaf and pledged to promote the good relations between Liberia and the Republic of South Korea.
“I am pleased that Liberia has returned to normalcy and stability and that democracy have put down its root under your able and progressive leadership,” the South Korean Ambassador told the Liberian leader, adding, “I see Liberia rising again as a prosperous democratic nation in West Africa, and its example must be followed.”
He recounted that diplomatic relations between South Korea and Liberia started as far back as 1954, but was interrupted due to the over two decades of civil conflict in Liberia. He indicated that he will find the best ways of sharing South Korea's development experience with Liberia.
In response, President Sirleaf thanked the President of South Korea for accrediting an Ambassador to Liberia and reflected that at some point in the past, Liberia and South Korea were growing at the same rate. She further recounted that there were lots of cooperation between Liberia and South Korea in the 1980s and that a number of bilateral cooperation agreements were signed, but interrupted due to the war. The President praised South Korea's support to the United Nations Women Program, UN Women.
The Liberian President further indicated that Liberia can learn some of the things that enabled South Korea's economy to grow so fast, stressing that the two countries are back in a collaborative relationship.
She reminded Ambassador Sung-Yol about South Korea's commitment to support Liberia's road construction effort as the country currently pursues its development platform, “An Agenda for Transformation” that focuses on people, roads, ports and energy.
The Foreign Minister of South Korea will be among hundreds of high-profile leaders from across the globe that will participate in a three-day meeting of the UN High-level Panel on Post-Millennium Development Goals scheduled to take place in Monrovia from 30th January to 1st February, 2013.
The South Korean Ambassador is resident in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire and covers countries including Ghana, Liberia, among others.
