The government of the Republic of Korea now has a cooperation agency in Yaounde wherein its development assistance programmes in Cameroon will be coordinated. The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), as it is known, was officially opened on Monday September 27, 2010 with the arrival of the Resident Representative for Cameroon, Mr. Ra Kap-Chae. The office is located at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Yaounde.

According to a press release from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Yaounde, KOICA was established on April 1, 1991 to implement Korea’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes overseas. Its mission involves a wide range of schemes notably project aid including, among others, the construction of hospitals, schools, vocational training centres and other indispensable facilities; training programmes in which officials of partner countries are invited to Korea for training; overseas volunteer programmes in which Korean skilled volunteers are dispatched to partner countries as well as disaster relief programmes.

The news release further states that Korea has the unique experience of developing from one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the most economically advanced. The know-how and experience Korea gained from this transition are invaluable assets that allow KOICA to efficiently support the sustainable socio-economic development of its partner countries.