Two Koreas' Engagements in Africa: A Case of Namibia

Paper Abstract: This paper explores the relatively unknown motivations behind South and North Korea’s engagement with Africa, arguing that both sought recognition and diplomatic leverage within international organizations like the U.N. and the Asian-African solidarity movement. Each Korea promoted its development model in Africa to advance these interests.
North Korea emphasized its Juche ideology of 'self-reliance,' joining the Asian-African solidarity movement alongside Maoist China following the Bandung Conference. With the Chollima Movement seen as a rare success in socialist industrialization, North Korea presented its model as a stabilizing alternative to China’s Great Leap Forward. However, with the collapse of the socialist bloc and North Korea’s economic decline, the socialist model lost its validity. Nevertheless, North Korea and Africa rhetorically maintained their relationship due to a shared history of solidarity. For instance, in Namibia, North Korea’s Mansudae Overseas Project constructed monuments and public buildings to commemorate the anti-colonial struggle
Meanwhile, South Korea repurposed its 1970s Saemaul Undong, a rural modernization initiative, as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) program, suggesting its relevance to African countries. By comparing the distinct approaches of each Korea, this paper sheds light on the complex transnational dynamics of their activities in Africa, offering a new perspective on the Global South.