Jung Won-joo, chairman of Herald Media Group, said the news company aspired to contribute to “building closer ties between Korea and Africa.”

“We are dedicated to delivering Korean news to Africa, and vice versa,” he said Thursday at the Africa Day 2024 Korea Business Forum.

He added that he hopes the forum and the Korea-Africa summit in June will “open up doors for more opportunities for exchanges.”

He said his business had ventured into Africa more than four decades ago.

“I personally have a very special place in my heart for Africa. ... Daewoo entered the Nigerian market, where we are operating to this day, for the first time in 1980. We have also carried out projects in countries such as Libya, Algeria and Morocco,” said Jung who doubles as the chairman of Daewoo E&C.

“I have often talked about African economies’ marketability and strengths in my meetings with South Korean entrepreneurs,” he said.

“There is an enormous potential, especially on the economic front for Africa, the world’s youngest continent that is expected to make up about half of the global population over the next three decades.”

He said that there was a “potential for great synergy” between South Korean businesses, with their technologies and capital, and the fast-growing African economies to “create new opportunities and build a more prosperous future.”

Jung is the vice chairman of Jungheung Group, the largest shareholder of Herald Media Group and Daewoo E&C.