Uganda's second deputy prime minister among attendees

About 150 officials and business representatives from both countries gather

Lee Sang-jun, head of the Korea International Trade Association's international cooperation division, delivers welcoming remarks at the Korea-Uganda Trade and Investment Forum held Tuesday at the Westin Seoul Parnas Hotel in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Korea International Trade Association]
Lee Sang-jun, head of the Korea International Trade Association's international cooperation division, delivers welcoming remarks at the Korea-Uganda Trade and Investment Forum held Tuesday at the Westin Seoul Parnas Hotel in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Korea International Trade Association]

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) co-hosted the Korea-Uganda Trade and Investment Forum with the Ugandan Embassy in Japan on Tuesday at the Westin Seoul Parnas Hotel in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The event brought together about 150 government officials, agency representatives and business leaders from both countries, including Uganda's Second Deputy Prime Minister Crispus Kiyonga, KITA International Cooperation Division Head Lee Sang-jun, Ugandan Ambassador to South Korea Tophas Kahwa — resident in Japan — and Jeong Gwang-yong, director general of the African and Middle Eastern Affairs Bureau at South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A landlocked country in East Africa, Uganda holds abundant critical minerals including gold, copper, iron ore and rare earth elements, and has recently sustained economic growth of around 6 percent.

In his welcoming remarks, Lee said bilateral trade between South Korea and Uganda stood at roughly $47 million last year, leaving significant room for growth. "We hope that Korea's technology and experience will combine with Uganda's growth potential to create new markets and business opportunities," he said.

In his keynote address, Second Deputy Prime Minister Kiyonga said the Ugandan government is working to improve the investment environment and foster the private sector to drive industrial development and attract more foreign investment. "We look forward to active investment and participation by Korean companies across diverse sectors, including energy, minerals and ICT," he said.

During the presentation session, the Uganda Investment Authority introduced major development projects currently under way — including the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil field developments, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, infrastructure expansion at the Namanve Industrial Park, and the Malaba-Kampala Standard Gauge Railway. It also outlined investment opportunities in plant and equipment supply, manufacturing and processing, and transportation and logistics linked to those projects.

A panel discussion followed, with Ugandan government and agency officials on hand to explain practical investment support measures available to prospective investors.

After the forum, a one-on-one business-to-business consultation session was held to facilitate concrete cooperation between companies from both sides. Seven Ugandan firms and 14 South Korean firms took part, conducting a total of 24 individual meetings to explore market entry, product and technology collaboration, and potential partnership arrangements.

Meanwhile, KITA has been stepping up its support for South Korean exporters seeking new overseas opportunities. Last month it hosted the K-Halal Global Market Entry Forum at Trade Tower in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and more recently co-organized the 2026 Jakarta K-Premium Consumer Goods Exhibition at the Jakarta International Convention Center in Indonesia with COEX.


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