The Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Yunus Abiodun Akintunde recently concluded a working visit to South Korea.
The trip was facilitated by the Korea Foundation, a public diplomacy organization affiliated with South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and which is committed to promoting better understanding of Korea and strengthening friendship in the international community.
The trip was tagged “Korea Foundation Invitation Program for Distinguished Guests in Parliament” and the various programs during the trip took place between 20th and 26th of April 2025.
The programme featured several engaging sessions spread over the five days.
The Tour engaged the visiting parliamentarians on the program a special session with Korea Legislative Research Institute.
Other parliamentarians with Senator Yunus Akintunde of Nigerian Senate on the tour were: Senator Ivan Alberto Flores Garcia from the Senate of the Republic of Chile; Ahmed Ezzat Manna Secretary General of Egypt House of Representatives; Edin Darlek, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Serbia; and Martin Ivan Yeza, National Congressman at the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina.
At another event, he attended a session at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security with briefings on security and development led respectively by Prof Ban Kil Joo and Prof Sung Jisun both notable experts in South Korea and the international community on Security and defence issues.
This special occasion afforded Senator Akintunde the opportunity to facilitate bilateral collaboration efforts on security and defence between Nigeria and South Korea.
The programme during the event also included a courtesy visit to South Korea National Assembly where the visiting parliamentarians and administrators were received on guided tour by Mr Lee Hakyoung, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea.
A courtesy visit and special session at the Korea Saemaul Undong Center, a UNESCO rated first rural community development movement where the Secretary General Sungho Kim welcomed and addressed the Team was another key aspect of the tour.
Also a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between South Korea and North Korea was organized for the visiting parliamentarians.
At another significant and memorable special event during the tour, Senator Akintunde joined the invited Parliamentarians to attend various cultural activities with a palace tour showcasing the rich culture of South Korea in magnificent splendor.
The Senator later engaged in a session with the Korea-Nigeria Parliamentary Friendship Association coordinated by Congressman Wi Seonggon during which he had the opportunity to share values and ethics of Nigeria legislative system within the democratic structure while also observing areas of value exchange between South Korea and Nigeria on a comparative assessment.
The Tour also involved a session of the Korea-African Foundation presided over by Mr Kin Youngchee, the President of the Foundation which provided opportunity for bilateral collaboration between Africa and South Korea with special focus on the fast growing Nigeria economy.
Dr Akintunde, also an expert in Energy study, who currently is the Chairman Senate House Committee on Environment in the Senate at the National Assembly seized the occasions to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Korea on renewable energy, rural development and agri-business.
During the programme, Akintunde was conducted on a tour of a greenhouse/smart farm a unique innovation in agroecology and development largely established and deployed by South Korea with resounding successes in steady food production for local consumption, aggro allied processing inputs and exports.
He assured the Korean Foundation, the organizers of the Tour to further engage with the parliament and Nigeria government on the mutual benefits of the exchange program for the benefits of the Korea people and the Nation Nigeria.
“The benefits of the Tour are tremendous and we will explore on areas of possible collaboration and value addition between both countries without delay”. He concluded while delivering his message of appreciation to the Korean Foundation that organized the Tour
He is expected back in Nigeria in a few days after the completion of the Tour.
