A growing number of nations are showing an interest in Korean policies and systems of governance in terms of public administration. Recently, five East African nations attended a ministerial conference in Ethiopia to learn about Korea's e-government strategies, public administration reforms and its set of rural development policies from the 1970s and 1980s called the New Community Movement (the Saemaul Undong).

Minister Chong Jong-sup of the Ministry of Government Administration & Home Affairs recently visited Ethiopia to host the ministerial meeting on public management and to discuss ways to further enhance cooperation.


Minister Chong hosted the ministerial meeting on public administration on March 18 in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. Along with representatives from five nations -- Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda -- he discussed a variety of ways to expand cooperation on public management. Minister Chong spoke about Korea's experiences and know-how on the two main agenda items: developing e-government strategies and the New Community Movement. He also discussed feasible ways to adopt new public management systems in the five rapidly developing nations. During the forum, MOUs covering cooperation on public management, e-government strategies and regional administration were signed between Korea and Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.


The heads of delegation from the five East African nations agreed that excellent public systems had backed up Korea's rapid economic development. They expressed their hope to share such strategies and systems. The delegation from Kenya requested bilateral talks and showed an active attitude toward sharing and modeling Korea's complement of online government services.

Minister Chong said, "Sharing our experience and know-how is an effective and economic way to contribute to national development. We will join forces with relevant organizations to put all the plans discussed today into action."

Earlier, on March 17, Minister Chong paid a visit to a Korean War veterans memorial in Ethiopia. On March 19, he held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Boshe and then spoke at Addis Ababa University on the role young people can play in national development and the importance of good public administration.



By Lee Seung-ah
Photos: the Ministry of the Government Administration and Home Affairs
Korea.net Staff Writer
slee27@korea.kr